


Only a Dream for Fools

by MustardGal



Series: In the Shade [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Post-Canon Fix-It, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:06:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24595000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MustardGal/pseuds/MustardGal
Summary: Sequel to In the Shade of an Old Apple Tree.  It's been five years since Arthur and Sadie found each other again.  Life has never been more perfect for the two of them, until they run into an old friend, Agent Ross, much to their surprise and dismay.  They find themselves betrayed by someone they once considered a friend - and Sadie and Arthur must work hard to save the life they have built for themselves.
Relationships: Abigail Roberts Marston/John Marston, Albert Mason/Mary Linton, Sadie Adler/Arthur Morgan
Series: In the Shade [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1777906
Comments: 41
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [In the Shade of an Old Apple Tree](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22768834) by [MustardGal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MustardGal/pseuds/MustardGal). 



There was one last apple high up in the tree. Arthur, humming quietly to himself, leaned over and snagged the apple with a light tug. His shoulder popped, reminding him how tired he was and how he couldn’t wait to crawl into bed that night. He set the apple in the bushel and peered down to the ground.

“That’s the last of it,” Arthur said, stepping down from the ladder, the bushel of red-green apples in his arms. A flurry of blond hair crossed in front of him with a giggle, nearly causing him to stumble. “Rosalie,” he chided lightly, and set the bushel down in the nearby wagon. “You gotta watch out where you’re goin’.”

“Always on the run, that one,” Sadie smiled, coming to stand in front of Arthur. The afternoon sun caressed her skin in a golden haze, her reddened and freckled cheeks tanned from the rays. She was dressed in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the two top buttons undone, and wore a flowing skirt to accommodate her overly large belly. 

Arthur leaned down to kiss her on the lips. “Ready for more of this tomorrow?”

Said leaned back and let out a long groan. “I don’t know, but I’ll have to be. Gotta get this harvest finished.”

“Shouldn’t take but a few more days. Hey, Rosalie, where you gone?” Arthur looked around to find his four year old daughter elbows deep into a puddle of water. Her face full of freckles, she looked like a splitting image of Sadie. Arthur let out a disgruntled sigh and scooped her up. “That’s gonna be another bath for you, missy.”

“I can’t keep up with her much no more,” Sadie said, waving a hand at her daughter. “This one is starting to take a toll on my back.” She patted her stomach, a defeated but loving gaze on her face. “Let’s take the wagon back and get goin’.”

Arthur placed his wiggly daughter on the wagon, then helped Sadie up the step. With their second child on the way, their lives had become busier by the second. Harvest season had crept up on them and they were in the midst of finishing it out. They had hired a few local hands to help with the harvest, as well as a few men for delivery. 

As he traveled home with Sadie and their daughter, he continued humming a small tune. Sadie closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. Life had been fortunate to them in the last five years. The farmhouse was officially his and Sadie’s. They owned a small farm and even had a small barn built to accommodate a business for breeding and training horses. It kept him and Sadie busy.

Jamie Gillis helped run the orchard, having expanded his business to the cider business. His own farm, which had been combined with Gillis Orchard since the properties were in close proximity, had finally had a successful harvest just in the last year. Business was booming, and people were buying into his cider business. Jamie had gotten himself up and married to a local girl, and they had recently announced they were expecting. 

It was so strange to Arthur. He and Sadie were soon to be blessed with another child. Abigail, bless her poor heart, had lost a daughter soon after she and John moved close by. Despite the heartbreak, Abigail was in the midst of the early stages of her third pregnancy and she couldn’t be happier. 

“Hey, Arthur, Sadie!” John called out, appearing through the trees. He was dressed in dark clothing, covered in a light layer of sawdust. His scars had faded to a dull pink on his face, hidden beneath a dark beard. Having stayed out of trouble, John had successfully managed to work at the sawmill under Edward Maas. Under the guidance from Edward, John had learned how to properly manage a sawmill, and with a lot of hard work, now held an important role in the company. 

Never would have Arthur thought little Johnny Marston would be capable of holding a job and doing well at it, but here he was. 

“John,” Arthur grinned, giving him a wave. “You gonna stay for dinner?” 

“Sure. Gotta escort the wife home, anyways. She wasn’t out here with you guys?”

“She was feelin’ sickly,” Sadie chimed in. “I told her to go lay down. Jack should be there, too. He stopped by after school.” 

Once they reached the farmhouse, Arthur helped Sadie off the wagon and set Rosalie loose. She having learned to walk had been a curse, Arthur had decided a while ago. Rosalie was always running somewhere or getting into something she shouldn’t be. Her words were jumbled and sometimes didn’t make sense, but he loved that little girl immensely, despite her chaoticness. 

He took the wagon to the stables and quickly unharnessed the horse. After he made sure the apples were put properly away, he left for the house and walked in, the house filled with an aroma of steak, potatoes, and onions. Maybe too much onions, but that was Abigail’s cooking for you. 

He ran into the twins, William and Georgie, chasing after Rosalie in the living room. “Ah, shit, completely forgot you were visitin’ for dinner,” Arthur said, finding Albert and Mary sitting on the couch. “I see you brought your little devils with you.” 

Albert chuckled. “They mean well.” William and Georgie, born a year after Albert married Mary, were splitting images of Mary in facial features, yet had the adventurous streak of their father. 

“Dinner will be ready in a few minutes!” Abigail called out from the kitchen. 

Sadie walked out, hands full of dishware. Mary stood up from the couch and went to help set the table. 

“Let’s go get the kids,” Arthur said, knowing it was easier said than done. Jack was already helping set up the table with extra chairs. He was a good kid; had done well in his school and had even helped Abigail learn her letters. Always had his nose in a book, though he enjoyed his outings with John. Their relationship had become stronger over the years as John had finally learned how to be a father, but it wasn’t a perfect relationship. They were still learning how to be father and son, just as Arthur was still learning how to be a father. 

He had made sure life would be better for Rosalie. She wouldn’t have to suffer an abusive father like he had. She would have the proper schooling and not have to worry about placing dinner on the table. Arthur had escaped the noose, unlike Lyle Morgan, and he planned to keep it that way.

He and Albert corralled the kids and everyone sat down to enjoy their meal. When Arthur asked Albert how business was going, Albert responded, “It’s going great, actually. I have another exhibit being set up in the next month. It’s the set I have about this farm, really. It features all of you and the daily farm life. I have taken means to hide your faces - nobody should be able to identify you, of course.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that,” Arthur said. He had asked Albert to take care when taking photos. John was a wanted man still in several states - not in New York, but still, it wasn’t worth the risk to have his face on display in photographs. “What’s your next set gonna be about?”

“Well, I practically photographed everything there is here. I was thinking, railroad? Or maybe the coal mining business? Something New Yorker’s don’t think about in their busy lives. It would require another trip, if you’re up for the task, Arthur.”

Arthur shared a look with Sadie and she shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind that, once all the harvestin’ is done. But we’re only a month away from the baby, so… we’ll have to talk about it, later.”

“Well, let me know. It’d only be for a few days.”

It’d been awhile since Arthur had left with Albert on a photography trip. It was something he always looked forward to - they camped and slept beneath the stars, something Arthur didn’t do much anymore. His outlaw life seemed like only yesterday, living rough and rugged, constantly on the road. And now, his life felt spoiled. He had steady income, a roof over his head, a loving wife, friends, and a child of his own. 

Dutch would say Arthur betrayed the outlaw way of life, having given into the regularity of society and government. But Dutch’s way of living had become warped, one Arthur was happy to be free of.

He only missed his old friends. Charles stopped by once in a while, always on the move. Mary-Beth and Tilly had moved on, and kept in touch by letter, once Arthur figured out where they were. It took a bit of digging, but Sadie and he had been curious. The others of the gang had been harder to find, and Arthur hadn’t dared try to find some of them, like Bill and Javier, not that he cared. 

No, he was content with who he had in his life. Over time, he had settled into a busy routine and every day felt like something new to experience. 

After the evening was over and everyone left for their homes, Arthur picked up the snoring Rosalie and carried her to her bedroom. He tucked her in bed and went to rouse Sadie, who had fallen asleep on the couch, her hand over her stomach and a small smile on her face. 

She was happy. He had asked her, once, when she was pregnant with Rosalie, if she was happy with her current life.

“Am I happy?” she had repeated back then. “Of course I’m happy.” 

They had been in the midst of picking apples on a warm fall day. Arthur remembered the day clearly, and it still made him flush every time-.

“We ain’t gone after any bounties in awhile. We ain’t been runnin’ around. Are you happy, livin’ here with me, not doin’ any of that?” Arthur asked her. He grabbed the bushel of apples from her arms and set it aside. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. Having worked outside all day, they both smelled of sweat, but she still smelled heavenly to him. 

“What’s bringin’ this on?” Sadie asked him, pulling back to look up at him, eyebrow raised. 

“It just… hit me,” Arthur said. “We been doin’ this life now for nearly a year. We don’t get off the farm much, except when we visit the others. I… I don’t want you to feel like I’m holdin’ you back.”

Sadie scoffed and tapped his nose with her finger. “What are you really afraid of, Morgan? Like I said, of course I’m happy. Because I’m with you. We put food on the table every night. We see our friends. We can walk around without fear of being recognized. The law ain’t down our throats. I’m happy ‘cause we can enjoy  _ us _ , Arthur. If it means settlin’ down, so be it. ‘Sides, we’ll have a new one runnin’ around here soon. This is our life now.” Sadie tilted her head. “So I guess the question is, are  _ you _ happy?”

Arthur closed the distance in between them with a firm kiss. “Of course I’m happy,” he said, then kissed her again.

“Well, then…” Sadie murmured in between breaths. “What is there to be worried about, then?”

Kissing led to one thing after another, and soon they found themselves pulling off each other’s clothing and Arthur pinning Sadie against one of the apple trees. They had the luxury of the orchard farm to themselves that day, and they used that to their advantage. There was no one to walk in on them as they fell to the ground, locked in a tight embrace as Arthur and Sadie had their way with each other. 

Thinking of that day always made Arthur yearn for Sadie’s touch, of the way they had lost themselves to each other. 

As the days passed, working hard on the farm, they had waited anxiously for the birth of their daughter. 

The night of Rosalie’s birth, Arthur held his daughter close to him. He sat by the fireplace, which crackled and sizzled as he stared lovingly at his newborn daughter. Sadie was snoozing in the bed, the birth having taken much out of her. It was a quiet time at the moment; Rosalie had just fed and had fallen firmly asleep. 

Her wrinkly face was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He rocked slowly back and forth in the rocking chair, a low hum in his throat. It had been an emotional ride for all of them - Arthur had thought he had handled it well. But as he held his new daughter close, he let quiet tears fall. 

He was a  _ father.  _ He had been one before, but he hadn’t been a father to Isaac. Not a real one. He hadn’t been there for the birth. He hadn’t been there to support Eliza through the difficult times. He hadn’t been able to save Eliza and his son from being murdered. No, he hadn’t been a father, as much as he loved Eliza and Isaac. He had messed up that life, and they had paid for it.

He didn’t deserve a second chance, but as he looked at Rosalie, he wished for one. He’d do everything right this time. He’d raise her with love and never abandon her. No, she and Sadie were his second chance. He’d be a father and not mess this life up.

Sadie called out to him lightly, holding out her hand to him. He laughed nervously through his tears and stood up to move by her side. She sat up in bed and Arthur sat by her side, Rosalie still sleeping in his arms. They were quiet as they cuddled up against each other, staring at their child.

“I love you,” Arthur murmured and placed a kiss on Sadie’s head. 

She stirred against his shoulder and murmured a quiet reply, still half asleep. Arthur wiped his tears and settled against Sadie, his heart bursting with love.

Ten minutes later the baby was screaming and Arthur hadn’t slept a night through since.

Now that Rosalie was four, she had gotten better about sleeping through the night, but still would come running for Arthur and Sadie’s room the moment she would wake. She loved following her parents around and would chatter nonsensically. 

Arthur wouldn’t change that for the world. Sadie would argue he was too soft on Rosalie, sometimes, and maybe he was - but he was still learning. They all were. Learning how to be a family and function as one. It wasn’t easy, but it was a task he enjoyed. 

Over the next week they worked on the orchard, finishing up the harvest. It was decided between Albert and Arthur they would make a photography trip out of one of the apple deliveries to a nearby mining town. They spent a few days on horseback, taking their time. Albert would stop occasionally to set up the camera and snap a few pictures of anything vaguely interesting. Arthur didn’t mind. He took the time to write in his journal and catch up on his thoughts. Though, to be truthful, he was anxious to be by Sadie’s side. She was very pregnant and very cranky. Abigail was staying with her in Arthur’s absence. 

With the apples delivered and the photographs taken, they returned home. 

“You’re invited to my show in New York, of course. I’ll be having it this next week. I know it’s bad timing with Sadie, and all…” Albert trailed off.

“I’ll talk to her. We ain’t got much goin’ on now that the harvest is over, so…” Arthur shrugged. “Did you invite John?”

“Yes. They’ve already agreed to come. I’ll host everyone in my old apartment.”

“I’ll ask her,” Arthur affirmed. “Good luck with your show, Albert.” He shook hands with Albert and went inside the house to tell Sadie of the invite.

He found her already packing for it. “Of course we goin’,” Sadie said, moving around the bedroom, a skirt in hand and luggage open on the bed. “We ain’t got nothin’ going on here. I’ve already talked to Frankie - that neighbor kid? He’s agreed to take care of the animals for us, at least for a week.” 

“It’s only a few weeks until-” Arthur began to protest.

“Rosalie was a late baby, so I’m thinkin’ this one will be too.” Sadie went to the bed and began folding the clothing into the luggage. “‘sides, it’s been awhile since we went out. You and I both ain’t fond of New York, but food and rooms are provided, and I want to support Mary and Albert.” She and Mary had become friends - not as close as she and Abigail, but they still supported and visited one another. 

Arthur held up his hands in defeat. “Fine. We’ll both go to New York. If you give birth there, I’m gonna tell you I told you so.”

“And I ain’t gonna admit that you were right,” Sadie replied sweetly. “Now go on, go say hi to Rosalie. She’s in her room playin’.”


	2. Chapter 2

In a few days time they arrived in New York, the towering city as bumbling and restless as ever. Arthur still couldn’t fathom how he had lived in the city for more than a year; he wouldn’t trade his life on the farm for anything. The night of the exhibit, they arrived dressed in their best. Rosalie and Jack had been dropped off at the Mason’s, who had hired a sitter to watch their own twins. Jack didn’t mind being left with kids younger than him, as long as he had a good book, he was content. 

John and Abigail dressed in their best as well, though John kept tugging at his collar. “I hate wearin’ these damn things,” John grumbled as they went up the steps to the exhibit. He wore a slick black suit with a black bow tie. He had trimmed his beard - not shaven completely in a poor attempt to hide the scars - and had swept his hair back with pomade. 

Abigail had dressed in a deep green dress with black trims and belted high on the waist. Only a few months along in her pregnancy, her stomach was hidden in the layers. Sadie wasn’t so lucky; she had purchased a new maternity dress just for that night, as none of her skirts was appropriate for the evening. She had chosen a simple light pink dress that was long sleeved and buttoned at the neck and wrists, with a small belt cinched above her waist. 

The fancy dress reminded Arthur of their wedding, the only other time they had chosen to wear nice clothes. All other days, they were both dressed in pants and dirty clothes, content with their busy life on the farm.

Arthur was dressed identical as John, with his hair also done with pomade, and his beard shaped nicely. They mixed in with the crowd well - the exhibit, located in a large museum, had drawn much of the upper class life out and soon the exhibit was full of people. Albert and Mary were busy greeting through all the guests. Arthur and his group made their way through the exhibit slowly, admiring all the hard work Albert has put into creating the photographs.

“This is our daily life,” Abigail said as they passed a picture of the farmhouse. “What a thing to see it in photographs.”

“He does have a way with his pictures,” Sadie commented. Any time a person was photographed, it was in a way where their face was distorted or hidden. It wasn’t only their lives, either - it was several different farmers from the area. 

Arthur finished off his whiskey with a swig and looked around, trying to spot the way through the crowd. “I’ll be right back. You want some appetizers, Sadie?”

“Oh yes, please.” Sadie’s eyes lit up. Her appetite had been rather fierce lately. 

“I’ll be right back,” Arthur chuckled and left the group. He weaved through the crowds and spent time at the appetizer table, dishing up two plates full of food. He hoped Rosalie was okay. It was their first night being away from her in a while. 

“Mr. Morgan,” a deep menacing voice said to his right. A voice he hadn’t heard in years.

Arthur’s heart skipped a beat and he nearly fumbled with his plate. He ignored the comment and continued to dish up his plate. Here, in this new life, he was Atticus Adler, an orchard farmer. Everyone knew him by Atticus, but lately - there’d been slip ups. He was tired of living as Atticus, and he’d been introducing himself more with his original name Arthur. But that was on the farm. Here, in New York, he was still Atticus.

“Mr. Morgan,” the voice repeated, clearly directed at him. 

Arthur reached over, grabbed a grapevine and dished it on the plate. He set it down and plopped a few grapes in his mouth, trying to play it cool. He looked to his side and found Edgar Ross, the Pinkerton agent who had relentlessly hunted down the van der Linde gang. 

“Excuse me?” Arthur said. “Think you got the wrong fellow, mister.”

Edgar Ross leveled a glare at him. “Arthur-”

“Atticus Adler!” Timothy Bauer, editor of the Empire Gazette, dressed in an expensive black suit, suddenly appeared at Arthur’s side. He was taller than Arthur by a few inches and had a wide smile on his mustached face. “You’re back in New York city! Back for your job, I hope.”

Talk about luck. “Mr. Bauer!” Arthur said gleefully. He reached over and shook his hand. “No, I’m ‘fraid not. Here to support my good cousin Albert Mason, though.”

“Yes, he’s done a very good job, hasn’t he?” Timothy mused, looking around. “I’ll be sure to write a good review in my newspaper.” He paused, seeing Edgar Ross glaring at the two of them. “And who are you, sir?”

“Edgar Ross, director of the Bureau of Investigation,” he responded.

“Here for work or enjoyment? Enjoyment, I hope.”

“I was supposed to be, but I ran into Mr.  _ Atticus Adler _ , here,” Ross sneered, “Who looks mighty familiar to a dead outlaw I knew.”

Arthur and Timothy shared a glance. “Told him he’s mistaken me for someone else,” Arthur said sheepishly. 

Timothy smiled knowingly. If anyone was a good actor, it was Timothy. “Quite! Mr. Adler has been in my employ, Mr. Ross,  _ director  _ of the Bureau of Investigation. I can very much tell you I don’t employ outlaws. I’ve been trying to convince him to come back, but he’s content working that farm and family life, much to my dismay! But I’ve been meaning to catch up with him. If you excuse us?” Timothy reached down and grabbed one of the full plates Arthur had dished up, then pushed Arthur away in the opposite direction of Ross.

Once they were out of Ross’ gaze in an adjacent room, Arthur quietly thanked Timothy for his intervention. 

“No need to thank me,” Timothy said. He let out a troubled sigh. “It is unfortunate he had to see you. Is your friend John here too?”

“How much do you know?” Arthur asked, feeling a bit unsettled. 

“I am a professional reporter. I’ve done my homework, which means he can too.” Timothy scratched his mustache in thought. “Let’s just continue to enjoy the night, shall we?” 

As Timothy led Arthur through the crowd, he was positive Timothy had figured out his past. He wondered how long he had known? He would have to ask him later. 

They found Sadie and Abigail, who had found an empty bench against the back wall. Despite it still being early in the night, Sadie looked exhausted. Arthur handed her the plate full of food and introduced her to Timothy, who handed the other plate of food to Abigail.

“Where did John go?” Arthur inquired after they had munched on a few appetizers. 

“Out for a smoke,” Abigail said. “Out in the gardens, that way.” She pointed in the general direction. 

“I wanna hear about more of Arthur’s time in the newspaper business,” Sadie said, a gleam in her eye. “He don’t say much about it.” 

Timothy raised his whiskey glass to her. “I’d be more than happy to oblige, ma’am.”

“On that note… I’ll be getting more whiskey and find John.” Arthur squeezed Sadie’s hand and left them. He headed out to the gardens where several men lingered, a thick haze of smoke in the air. It was something Arthur always missed - but his lungs still protested at the thought of smoking. He hadn’t touched a cigarette in years. 

John stood in the middle of the gardens, staring up to the sky. It was quiet in the gardens, the other men making low conversation. Once he caught sight of Arthur, he said, “You can’t see the stars very well.”

“That’s the city for you.”

“Never liked it much.”

Arthur made a quick look around and made sure they were alone. “John… I ran into Edgar Ross, the Pinkerton. He’s here.”

John took a puff of his cigarette. “Shit. That Pinkerton who helped Milton hunt us down?” He dropped his voice to a whisper.

“Same fellow. He’s gonna put two and two together. If not now, its gonna be later.”

John dropped his cigarette to the ground and snuffed it out with his shoe. “Abigail ain’t gonna be happy to hear this.”

“We will have to be smart about this, John. We’ll keep doin’ what we’ve been doin’. We have papers, deeds in our current names. He’s gonna need evidence, and he has none. We have papers who say we’re Atticus Adler and Jim Milton. We’ll be fine.”

John narrowed his eyes. “Even you know things were too good for us.  _ Shit. _ ” He kept his voice low, a strain of anger evident. “Let’s go find the ladies and get out of here.”

“We’ll stay a bit longer. Enjoy the party, act like everythin’ is normal. We’ll go home tomorrow.”

They stopped by the liquor cart and each got a glass of whiskey, then they went to find their wives, deep in conversation with Timothy Bauer. Arthur would tell Sadie about Ross later that night. She seemed to be enjoying herself and Ross had all but disappeared from the crowd, which Arthur was thankful for. They made their rounds the exhibit, taking their time to admire each picture. They stopped by Mary and Albert and made simple conversation, then as the night wore on, they traveled back to the apartment, having said their goodbyes.

Once Rosalie and Jack were picked up and Arthur and Sadie were settling down for the night, he laid next to her in the bed and held her close, and told her of the Pinkerton.

“What?” Sadie demanded, pushing away from him so she could sit up. “And you didn’t say anythin’?” 

“He left. Timothy helped my case, saying I was Atticus Adler. But he will figure it out, Sadie. He knew who I was.”

“We have to leave as soon as possible,” Sadie ground out after a moment. “There ain’t no way that man is gonna let you walk free.”

“He’ll need cause to arrest me. He can’t prove anythin’, not when I have official papers with my name.” Arthur put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly. “We gonna act like everythin’ is fine. We’ll spend tomorrow morning shoppin’, and then we’ll leave in the afternoon. We can’t have them suspect us of anythin’.”

“I don’t like this,” Sadie said firmly. “Not when we been through so much.”

“We’ll be fine.” Arthur leaned down and nuzzled her neck. “Don’t worry, Sadie. Please.”

He wasn’t entirely convinced himself. 


	3. Chapter 3

A week later he was back on the farm, starting the morning with his usual chores. Sadie had remained in bed, complaining of back pain. They were both anxious for the baby to come - it could happen anytime within the next few weeks. Her ankles were swollen and sore and everything hurt, so Arthur stuck close to home and kept watch over their daughter as Sadie rested. 

“We gonna fix the fence today,” Arthur told Rosalie, picking up long pieces of wood and setting them on a wagon. He had finished hitching up a horse and was bound for the southern side of the property. It wasn’t too far, and if Sadie needed help, she would ring a bell. 

“Fix da fence?” Rosalie said in her high pitched voice. She was dressed in a light blue gown - already dirtied from playing in a puddle - and had her bright blond hair let down. Arthur had attempted to brush it, but Rosalie was so wiggly he had conceded. She began to attempt at climbing the wagon steps. Arthur quickly hopped over and helped her up. 

“Ready to go?” he asked her. At her cheer, he sat beside her and lightly whipped the reins and the horse was off. He made light, nonsense conversation with Rosalie as she described in detail the frog she had seen yesterday. Or was it a fish? She kept interchanging the words, much to Arthur’s amusement. 

Fall was threatening to end and winter would be here sooner than Arthur wanted. He had several projects planned before winter and hoped there was enough time. He jumped off the wagon once they reached the broken fence and let Rosalie loose. She immediately shouted “froggie!” and was off chasing a poor toad.

Some time passed as Arthur set to work on the fence, keeping an attentive eye on Rosalie. He’d have to go back in a bit so he could fix Sadie some lunch. 

“I ‘aught it!” Rosalie screamed, her hands covered in mud and grime as she held a tiny frog. 

Arthur readjusted his hat and kneeled down beside her. “How about that? You wanna show mama?”

Her eyes lit up. “Can I?”

“Oh, I think she’d-”

A gunshot echoed and birds scattered in the general direction of the farmhouse. Rosalie jumped and let go of the frog; Arthur scooped up Rosalie and ran for the house, not sparing a second thought to taking the horse. He ran through the empty orchard and skidded to a stop near the edge and sat Rosalie down near a tree. 

“You stay here,” he said firmly, his nerves dancing on edge. “Don’t you move from this spot, Rosalie Morgan Adler.”

Rosalie shrunk against the apple tree, her eyes wide and face pale. “Okay daddy.”

Arthur did his best to sneak up to the house, keeping his eyes out for anything suspicious. He couldn’t see anything from the back of the house, nor anyone on the veranda or peeking through the windows. His pistols were inside, near the front door. Otherwise, he was defenseless, but he needed to know what happened to Sadie, if she was alright.

He entered through the back door and made his way around the kitchen, then checked the downstairs. Nothing. He opened one of the dressers and pulled out his pistol, then made his way up the stairs. “Sadie?” he called out, not seeing anyone right away.

He lightly opened the bedroom door and kicked it open once he saw bright red on the bed. “Sadie?!” he yelled, his heart dropping at the amount of blood on the bed. It was everywhere, soaked into the pillow and sheets. Books and shelves were pushed over as if a scuffle had happened. Anguish filled him as he ran around the house, giving each room a look over. She wasn’t anywhere.

There was a knock on the door and he held the pistol at his side. “Who is it?” he shouted.

“It’s Edward Maas…?” the voice said. Sadie’s old employer and friend. “Is everything alright, Mr. Adler?”

Arthur was at the door and flinging it open. “Where’s Sadie? Have you seen her?”

“Calm down,” Edward said, holding his hands. “What happened to Sadie?”

“I heard a shot, and…” Arthur gasped out. “Rosalie!” He rushed out the door and found her where he had left her. He gathered her in his arms and went back to the house. 

“There’s a lot of blood up there,” Edward said fearfully, stomping down the stairs. “What happened to her?”

“I don’t know.” Arthur sat Rosalie down on the couch and began pacing, a million thoughts running through his head. “They can’t be far off, Maas. I was five minutes away when it happened. Did you see anyone on the way here?”

“No, I’m afraid not.” Edward sat down on the couch next to Rosalie, his hat in his hands. “What do you think it is? Could it be your old gang?”

“No, this isn’t their style, but they don’t follow the old rules anymore. I have hope Sadie’s still alive, since she’s not there. The blood may not even be hers.” Arthur was trying to be optimistic. He didn’t want to face the worst. “I’m going to change, can you watch Rosalie for me? We’ll head to John’s first, drop her off, and then I’ll head out to find Sadie.” Luckily, it was John’s day off, so he should be home. 

At Edward’s nod, Arthur raced back upstairs, feeling weak in the knees at the blood. He had to keep moving, though. That was the only way he would get to Sadie. He went over to his closet and opened it, a blind fury sweeping through him. He’d hoped he’d never have to fight another man again. This wasn’t the life for it. 

He reached into the closet and withdrew his gun belt and belted it around his hips, then grabbed his knives. Two of Sadie’s rifles were hanging on the side, which he grabbed and flung over his shoulder. He grabbed an old bandolier and made sure it was stocked with bullets, then made his way down the stairs. 

Rosalie was very quiet at the sight of her father decked in weapons. “Rosalie, sweetie, we gonna go to Uncle John’s, okay?” Arthur said as he picked up his daughter. He left the house, a small fury in his gut. “Edward, you come with me. I could use an extra hand.”

“I could alert the sheriff there’s been a kidnapping. Do you have any idea who this might be?”

“Someone who knows me and John, possibly. I have no proof.” They made their way to the stables and Arthur quickly saddled up Freckles. “They ain’t friendly, that’s no doubt.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then, and I’ll start searching with more men,” Edward declared. 

Arthur nodded his thanks and sat Rosalie on top of Freckles and hopped up behind her, and then they were off, racing down the road to John and Abigail’s. He held Rosalie tight against him, fear coursing through him. Sadie always kept a pistol in her nightstand. Arthur hadn’t thought to check if it had been used. It didn’t matter - all that did was Sadie. 

He would see her home safe and sound.

“John!” he roared as he approached John’s house, arriving in a flurry of dust. Freckles skidded to a stop. “John, I need you!”

John and Abigail came running out of their house in a hurry with Jack right behind them. One look at Arthur decked in weapons and John held up his hand, “give me a minute!” and he ran back inside. “Jack, saddle up my horse!” 

“What’s happened?” Abigail said, running up to Arthur’s horse. 

He handed down Rosalie to her and patted his daughter on the head affectionately. “Left Sadie alone for a few hours. Heard a shot, came back to find her missin’. There was blood, evidence of a fight.” 

Abigail blanched. “Do you think-”

“I dunno. I’m mighty sorry, Abigail, but I’m gonna have to take John with me. This ain’t gonna be solved peacefully.”

“I understand. I’ll take care of her,” Abigail said. Rosalie hugged Abigail in a deathgrip, still oddly silent. “Take care of John for me?”

“You know it.” 

Jack had the horse ready and waiting by the time John made it outside. He was dressed in dark jeans and vest, his gun belt looped around his waist. He wore a bandolier like Arthur and had a pistol at his hip with a rifle over his shoulder. “Abigail, I’ll be back, I promise,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. 

“You better,” she replied, tears welling up in her eyes. 

“Go to the Mason’s,” Arthur suggested. “Mary just arrived in town yesterday. Edward Maas is alertin’ the sheriff. We’ll get her back. Let’s go, John.” 

He kicked in his heels and Freckles took off in a flurry, John close behind. Arthur quickly explained what happened to him along the way. There wasn’t much to do except explore the nearby roads and look for tracks. They could have gone anywhere, and unfortunately the better tracker was Sadie. 

A couple hours passed as they searched the nearby orchards and farms, shouting Sadie’s name. It wasn’t until they came across a man who pointed to the west mountains. “I noticed a dairy cart headed that direction about an hour ago,” the older man said, a local farmer who’s been friendly to them before. “There isn’t a dairy farm or town out that way. I found it a bit strange.”

“Did you see Sadie?” Arthur asked the man.

“I did not, but I didn’t recognize the men, either. She could have easily been hidden in the cart, you see.”

“Thank you, mister. Can you ride into town, to the Mason’s, and let them know that’s where we are headed?”

“I can. Please bring her back safe!” the older man shouted after him.

Arthur would. There wasn’t any other option.

The sun began to set as he and John approached the mountain path. There were fewer homes out this way, as it was a distance from any railroad or town. It was a lush forest area as they traveled further up the mountain. Arthur had been here once before, with Albert, as they had tried to capture wide landscape photos. If he recalled correctly, there was a small cavern off the path. Perfect for a criminal to hide. 

“We’ll go on foot; the path ends just up here,” Arthur said, his voice low. “There’s a cavern less than a mile in. We’ll check there first.”

_Sadie_

She’d been sleeping away, her knitting project sprawled on her lap, when she was rudely awakened by a hand over her mouth. It had taken all her energy to shove the man off her; she bit his hand in the process and he jerked away. She had opened the drawer and drawn a small pistol and was able to get a shot as the man dove for her, the bullet catching the unknown man in the shoulder.

He landed on top of her, pinning her arm underneath him. The man was still breathing, but soon she was swarmed by two other men and found herself being dragged off the bed and down the stairs. Their hands bruised her arms as they held tight and she had to relent a little so she wouldn’t topple down the stairs and risk injuring herself and the baby. 

She’d gotten horrible flashbacks of the O’Driscolls dragging her around and she tried to scream, only for them to stuff a gag in her mouth and tie it behind her head. They proceeded tying her arms behind her back. Arthur would have heard the gunshot, would come running - 

But she was tossed into an enclosed wagon and then they were racing down the road, her screams muffled. She could tell they veered off road, through the orchard fields, and then she lost sense of the direction they were headed.

The wagon smelled heavily of chicken droppings. She moved around carefully, trying to feel around with her hands, as awkward as it was with her tied hands. The wagon was still moving fast, making it difficult to sit up without being tossed to and fro.

What could these people have to gain? She didn’t recognize the man who she’d shot. Didn’t know any of them. She and Arthur weren’t rich by any means. There was no silver at home. No - they hadn’t robbed the house. This was an attempt against Arthur, to draw him out. She was sure of it. 

She’d had a bad feeling in her gut ever since Ross knew of Arthur’s existence. She thought they would be safe living in New York, but clearly, Ross proved that otherwise. He was relentless and a lowlife. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the wagon stopped and the door was opened. 

“Get out,” a red haired man said. He reached over and yanked the gag off her mouth. He was older by her by at least ten years and had a thick scar on his jaw. He was dressed in dark, dirty clothing like the two other men who stood behind him. One glared at Sadie with an evil glare, the one she had shot in the shoulder. He held a bloodied bandage to his shoulder and looked nauseous. 

“Who are you?” Sadie demanded. She didn’t budge.

“Don’t matter. You our get out of jail card, missy. Get out, else we’ll pull you out.” 

If Sadie wasn’t pregnant, she’d fight them, but now wasn’t the time. She gave in and scooted out, placing her bare feet on the forest floor. 

“Your husband has pissed off the wrong people,” the red head continued, shoving Sadie forward. “Start walking.”

She had no choice. She grimaced as her bare feet pressed against twigs and rocks, but made no comment about it. “Who’d my husband piss off?”

“The law, missy. It’s our freedom for his arrest. We just gotta draw ‘im out, get him to admit a few things. Simple as that.”

Just as Sadie had suspected. The Pinkertons had worked with the O’Driscolls in the past - they would continue to lower themselves by granting pardons to criminals. It was a backwards system and absolutely disgusted her.

They walked for some time until they arrived at the cavern. One of the men lit a lantern and they continued in. It wasn’t a deep cave, and had a few blankets and a campfire already set up. 

“Sit down,” the red haired man said, pointing to a blanket in the corner. 

Sadie sat, shivering, clad in only her nightgown. The cavern had a strong chill to it. The men moved around, setting out their supplies and starting a fire. They put down their weapons and began fixing a crude meal.

Every muscle ached. This was more movement she’d done in weeks and her limbs were exhausted. Still, she had to try and escape. She’d been working on the rope around her wrists; it hadn’t been tied very well. It was to a point she could slip a hand through and be free, but she had to wait for the right moment.

The man she’d injured collapsed on a pile of blankets and groaned. The red haired man set to work on cleaning the wound. 

“You a stupid --” the injured man ground out at Sadie from where he laid on the ground. “If we ain’t promised not to harm you, you woulda been dead, lady!”

She didn’t doubt it. She was also thankful the men hadn’t wanted more from her - at least yet. Pregnant or no, some men were desperate for a quick pleasure, and she didn’t know if she could handle that situation again. 

It had nearly broken her all those years ago. She pushed her mind past it. It wouldn’t get to that point.

She bided her time, made notes where the pistol was left haphazardly on a crate, or the knife the man was using to carve a large piece of meat. These men were sloppy and careless. She was a woman, after all. She wouldn’t know how to fight. 

Fools. All it took was for one of the men to leave and she could take five steps, grab the gun, and shoot them. Or grab the knife, which was closer to her.

She waited a few minutes, then chose the opportunity.

The man making dinner walked out of the cavern, pulling at his pants. He was off to relieve his bladder, leaving her alone with the red haired man and the injured one. They were still at the far end, binding the injured man’s shoulder. Perfect. 

She chose to ignore the gun - it was too close to the men. Instead, she focused on the knife. It was a carving knife, a bit heavy, but still sharp enough to kill. She slid her hand out from the tie and counted to three.

One, two… three.

She charged at the knife, only a few steps away and in between her and the two men. She had the handle in her hand just as they took notice of her - she flipped the knife and chucked it with all her strength into the neck of the red haired man. He was down, his yell cut off with a knife embezzled in his neck. Good.

The injured man was delirious with his shooting. He missed his first shot as she crossed the way and grabbed the pistol left on the crate. She turned back and with a calm breath, she pulled the trigger. 

Another one down.

“What the!?” the last man yelled as he ran back in, one hand on his loose pants, the other with his pistol. 

She ducked behind the crate, shooting off a few rounds toward the man. One bullet landed through the crate and grazed her shoulder. Through clenched teeth, she ignored the pain in her arm; she’d worry about it later. She risked a glance above the crate and shot once more, catching him in the gut. He teetered backwards after a few grunts and dropped his gun. It clattered away from him as he lay still. 

Sadie collapsed to the ground and took a few deep breaths. They were all dead. She stood up, her legs and arms shaking. She hobbled towards the front of the cavern, the rocks piercing against her feet. Every bit of her hurt. 

She stopped by the dead man by the entrance. “That’s what happen when you underestimate me,” she muttered and lightly kicked his leg. “Bastard.” She went to lean against the cold wall, wincing at the fact she had to walk all the way back. Hopefully the horses were still there. 

Just as she was about to continue on, she paused and looked down, her legs suddenly warm in between her thighs. She lifted her nightgown and let out a groan. Her water had broken. 

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter was too short so here's this too!


	4. Chapter 4

They made their way silently, the evening light making it difficult to see. Arthur’s memory of the cavern’s location was foggy, but he was sure they were headed in the right direction.

Branches cracked in the distance and Arthur halted, signaling John to stop. There was only a light rustle of the wind accompanying them, or the occasional bird cry. They may have stumbled into someone. They waited a few moments, ears straining for any sound. The person was aware of their presence. 

“Who’s there?” Arthur asked cautiously. “We’ve come for-”

“Arthur!” Sadie said as she appeared around the bushes. She nearly collapsed at the sight of him and he was at her side in an instant, helping her to the ground. He held her close as he let out a tired breath and kissed the top of her head. 

“What happened?” he said after a moment. “You covered in blood, Sadie.”

“Not mine, except my arm. It’s only a graze,” she replied, her head buried in his shoulder. “Is Rosalie-?”

“She’s fine. She’s with Abigail. Who kidnapped you, Sadie?”

“Some local gang. Sounded like they were hired to do it. Possibly by Ross, to draw you out and give an opportunity to arrest you.” Sadie scoffed and pulled away. She peered down at her bloodied nightgown. “If I hadn’t been sleepin’ when they found me, this would not have happened. Shot one of them, though. But they got the better of me.” Sadie rubbed her arms where dark bruises had appeared. “They ain’t the brightest bunch. Stole a knife and had to kill one to grab a gun. They all dead, back in the cave.”

“You always were a fighter,” Arthur said. He let out a long sigh and helped her stand up. “Is the baby…?”

Sadie bit her lip and gripped his arm hard. “Baby’s gonna be here soon, Arthur. Get me home, please.”

“ _Shit_.” Arthur moved to Sadie’s side and wrapped her arm around his back. John went to her other side and helped support her as they maneuvered their way through the thick bushes and trees.

Once they arrived at where they had left their horses and Arthur helped Sadie onto the horse, a horse neighed in the distance and several men arrived on horseback. Arthur had his hand on his pistol and stood in front of Sadie protectively.

“Well- this isn’t surprising,” Agent Ross said. Two of his men held lanterns, while the other two held rifles pointed at Arthur. “Thought Mr. Bauer said you were just a simple orchard farmer, _Mr. Adler_. Hello, John.”

John only glared, clearly not wanting to admit anything.

“We received a call about a local gang and two men being involved - you wouldn’t have anything to say about that, would you?” 

“They kidnapped my wife,” Arthur said, keeping his voice cool. “You can find them back at the cavern, that way.”

“And you dealt with them?” 

“I did,” Sadie spat. She leaned over, taking deep breaths, her hair a tangled mess about her head. “Kindly let me and my husband through.”

Ross regarded her with irritation. “You?”

“Yes, me. If you don’t mind, I’d rather not give birth on this horse,” Sadie replied bitterly. “Let’s go, Atticus.”

Ross instructed his men to lower their rifles. “This isn’t over, Mr. Morgan.”

Arthur hopped behind Sadie and clicked his tongue. Freckles was quick to respond. “Again, you got the wrong fellow, mister Ross. See ya around.” 

The Agent let them go without a fuss, much to Arthur’s surprise. They kept quiet as they traveled, not wanting to talk until they were a good distance away. 

“They set us up,” Arthur murmured once they were halfway home. He held onto Sadie with a firm grip, worried at her small gasps of pain. He wished there was an easier way of travel for her. 

“I betcha they hired that gang with the hopes of us gettin’ in a fight,” John reasoned. “They woulda killed us outright.”

“Or arrested us, accusin’ us of bein’ in a gang. It don’t matter. We will have to keep an eye out. I wonder if this has to do anythin’ with Dutch?”

“Possibly.” John scratched his beard in thought. “Who knows?”

On the way to town, they ran into Edward Maas and a sheriff with a couple of his men. They stopped to update them on the situation. Edward Maas looked very much relieved about Sadie; still giving her the puppy eyes. Arthur always hated it when the man visited. Despite it being a couple years, the man never gave up

“If it ain’t too much of a bother to you cowboys I’d like to make it home,” Sadie said through clenched teeth. She groaned and hunched over, clenching her stomach.

“We almost at the Mason’s,” Arthur reassured her. 

The night seemed to pass by in a flurry once they arrived. Sadie was escorted off to a bedroom and a midwife was summoned to assist her. Arthur was kicked out of the room during the ordeal. At least Mary and Abigail stayed nearby to support her. Rosalie was put to bed with the twins, so there wasn’t much for Arthur to do but wait with John.

They drank whiskey and played a quiet checkers game. Arthur’s nerves and emotions were all over the place, from having to deal with Sadie’s kidnapping, rescue, to the delivery of their child. He hated hearing her gasps of pain from the room. After the birth of Rosalie, she had sworn she’d never do it again, but - this baby had chosen otherwise. 

Arthur eventually settled down on a couch and nodded off. A few hours in, when daylight crept through the windows, Arthur was woken by a screaming baby and he was up and moving before he could think about it. 

“It’s a boy,” Abigail said once he stormed into the room. 

Sadie was propped up against pillows, the small baby in her arms. She smiled exhaustedly at Arthur, her face flushed and glistening with sweat. 

Arthur, feeling a bit shy and awed, sat by her side slowly. Abigail, Mary, and the midwife left the room to give them privacy. The baby was red faced, with a small weft of hair. “You okay?” he asked her.

“I’m okay,” Sadie sniffed and closed her eyes. “Just wish he was born under happier circumstances.” 

“You did what you could to protect our son.” Arthur brushed her hair back. 

“I ain’t sorry I killed them,” she whispered. “They deserved it. But I don’t like it one bit, Arthur. They ain’t gonna let that rest. Ross will be back, I know it.”

“Don’t think about that now. Let’s enjoy our son, Sadie. One thing at a time.”

At her relenting nod, Arthur slowly took his son for the first time and held him tenderly. “I love you, Sadie Adler, you amazing woman.”

“I love you, too.” Sadie beamed at him from her pillows, sleepiness in her eyes. As she drifted off, Arthur sat on a rocking chair and rocked his son back and forth. They hadn’t discussed many baby names. If it had been a girl, they’d have named her Beatrice, after Arthur’s mother. Rosalie was named after someone on Sadie’s side - but Arthur was at a loss. They had decided against Hosea, or any name associated with the gang. It was another life, one filled with too many bad memories.

“I was thinkin’ Bennie,” Sadie said, stirring Arthur out of his reverie. “Little Benjamin.”

“I like it. Little Bennie.” Arthur placed a soft kiss on the baby’s head, who yawned widely. 

There was a knock on the door and Mary peered her head in. “There’s someone here to see you, Arthur.” She sounded worried.

“Who is it?”

“It’s that Agent Ross you mentioned. He’s here.” 

“We literally just left them-” Arthur protested. He wearily stood and placed Bennie in Sadie’s arms. “Stay here, Sadie. I’ll be back.”

“I’ll show him what’s-” Sadie moved to sit up and grimaced. 

“No, you stayin’ put. Mary, would you please watch over Sadie? I’ll go talk to Ross.” Arthur gave Sadie a quick kiss, ignoring her protests. He had taken off all his weapons besides his pistol at his hip, which he regretted now. 

Arthur went to the entrance and took a peek outside the window. His heart dropped. Ross stood with even more men, his rifle drawn. 

They were here to arrest him.

“Don’t do it,” Sadie pleaded behind him, leaning against the door frame, her face anguished. She shook as she held herself straight. Mary attempted grabbing her arm to pull her back to the bed and Sadie shrugged her off. Benjamin cried in the background. “This ain’t right, Arthur. You deserve to live. That Ross just wants to ruin our lives-”

“What choice do I have?” Arthur lamented. “He’ll arrest us all for resistin’, Sadie. I won’t put our children in danger.”

“Arthur Morgan!” Ross shouted from outside. “We have John Marston. I expect you to come peacefully, and no danger will come to your family.”

Arthur stood straight and took a deep breath as he adjusted his shirt and wiped back his hair, trying to calm his nerves. He put on his worn hat and gritted his teeth. He hadn’t thought it’d end like this, hadn’t thought-

“I love you,” he bit out to Sadie, not allowing his voice to show his fear. “Take care of Rosalie and Bennie.”

He tried to block out Sadie’s protests as he opened the door and held up his hands. “I hear you, Ross. To what do I have the pleasure with you aimin’ your guns at me?”  
Ross’ eyebrow twitched. “I’m tired of beating around the bush. I know who you are. That’s enough evidence for me. I am arresting you on charges of fraud, posing as Atticus Adler, as well as charges of larceny, murder, among other things. You escaped us on the mountaintop, Mr. Morgan. But we will have the van der Linde gang brought to justice. You _will_ hang with your fellow gang members as an example to others that the law _will_ be obeyed.”

“My family-”

“Your family will not be harmed,” Ross interjected. “In the meantime, your home is being turned over to the likes of Edward Maas.”

“Maas?” Arthur blinked. “That’s-”

“That’s enough.” Ross motioned his men with the rifles to approach. “Get in the wagon, Mr. Morgan. We have a long way to go to St. Denis.”

Edward had stood on the sidelines in the shadow of the house, watching everything with a grim and pale face. 

Arthur took a few steps toward him, anger snapping. “Are you in on this, Maas? Have you been in on this the whole time?”

“Now’s not the time, Arthur,” Edward said. 

Arthur crossed the few steps between them and landed a fist against the man’s cheek. Edward fell back into the wall and crashed into a nearby barrel, taken by surprise. Instantly Arthur found himself restrained by several men, pulling him back. 

“If you consider resisting I will also arrest Albert Mason and whoever helped hide your identity,” Ross shouted over the commotion. 

That made Arthur pause, enough to have the men overpower him and drag him into the wagon where John sat, his hands restrained behind his back. He had a nasty blue welt on his face, showing he had put up a fight.   
“I’m sorry, Arthur,” John rasped out once Arthur was tossed in the wagon, his hands tied behind his back beforehand. “I was makin’ a run to my house and they got me. Wasn’t able to stop ‘em.” 

Sadie pushed open the front door with a protest, drenched in sweat. Blood stained the fabric at her legs. “Don’t take him!” she shouted, falling against a pole on the veranda. “Please. He’s my husband, my children’s father-”

“He’s an outlaw, ma’am. If you weren't in such a sorry state right now, I’d arrest you too,” Ross said coldly. “Let’s move out.”

Arthur locked eyes with Sadie as the wagon started moving and whispered _I’m sorry._

Hoofs clopped beside Arthur and Ross let out a long, disappointed sigh as he rode beside him. He re positioned his hat and straightened his jacket. “Outlaws don’t deserve redemption, Mr. Morgan,” Ross said casually. 

As the Mason home disappeared from view as they traveled farther away, hidden by the tall trees of apples and evergreens, Arthur felt sick to his stomach. He pressed his forehead against the metal bars of the wagon and squeezed his eyes shut. 

The law had finally caught up to him. Maybe Ross was right. Maybe Arthur didn’t deserve redemption or happiness. He’d tried to get away, tried to make a new life. 

And now Rosalie and Bennie would grow up without a father, something Arthur had vowed not to let happen. 

“We’ll get out of this,” John murmured to him. “We have friends here, Arthur. It sounds like they want to hang the van der Linde gang altogether. We have time, if we are the first ones they’ve caught.”

“Sure.” Arthur wasn’t reassured. 

On and on they went, following the dusty road to St. Denis, their hope fading with every single step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to post this two days ago but time got the best of me.
> 
> In other news, over the course of the next year I'm working toward self publishing my own novel. I'm in the middle of finding a good editor right now. Once I have my facebook page created, I'll link it somewhere! I am a YA Fantasy author at heart (never pictured myself writing stories about cowboys but here we are) and when the time comes, I'd love it for people to follow me.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next chapter should be up Sunday.


	5. Chapter 5

Her wedding day had been beautiful.

Sadie remembered the young, girlish glee of marrying Jake. It had been a small peaceful ceremony, with her parents and a few friends in attendance. She and Jake said their vows and made the biggest decision possible: moving away from family, to the state of Ambarino, out in the untouched wilderness.

It had been exciting and terrifying at the same time. She and Jake had learned how to work together, how to survive. There had been plenty of nights that had them questioning if they did the right thing. They only succeeded because they both believed in making their dream work of running a successful homestead, with maybe a kid or two down the road. They’d grow old and die there, their legacy living on.

Only a small part of their dream came to life. She slowly found out children were not in their foreseeable future. Still, she and Jake loved each other. Even if they couldn’t have children, they’d have each other until they grew old together, and that was enough.

Only Jake had died many years too soon, leaving Sadie a widow at thirty-two years old.

Every blissful memory of Jake died in the fire that burned down their treasured house. 

Her life after his death was a blur. Any joy in her life had been ripped clean from her and torn to shreds. Ever since the O’Driscolls killed her husband and abused her for three days, she let herself loose. She didn’t hold back as she killed for revenge, for herself and Jake.

The anger she felt began to subside as she began to open herself up more, and Arthur Morgan had been the person to do it. 

He listened to her, cared for her thoughts. He had her back and had become a friend she could trust. As time went on, her heart was repaired - and she fell in love with him.

It was a different kind of love than she had with Jake. With Jake, it was tender and sweet, and a little bit naive. 

With Arthur, it was powerful and strong. Sure, they butted heads at times with their similarity in tempers, but they had a deep connection that couldn’t be broken. When she admitted to Arthur she may not be able to have children, he hadn’t been angry. A little bit sad, but he never admitted it. 

They married with a promise to love each other unconditionally.

It was a few weeks after he proposed. It had been a cooler summer day, with only a few clouds in the sky. They had only been recently reunited after a couple years apart, during which she thought Arthur was dead. There had been an opportunity for her to move on - such as Edward Maas - but she couldn’t. Her heart had been once against split open and any sort of affection was ineffective. 

She merely survived for herself and supported and protected her friends. That was enough drive to survive.

And then Arthur returned, along with a million different emotions, and Sadie found she had fallen even more in love with him. It had been an easy answer to say yes to his proposal; she couldn’t imagine her life being any other way.

The wedding took place on the orchard farm, in the gazebo Arthur had repaired. It was draped with an array of flowers, which Mary had ordered. It had been the only expensive item; otherwise, Arthur and Sadie kept it simple. Her bouquet was a mix of wildflowers and she wore a frilly white but simple dress. She wore her previous wedding ring on a necklace around her neck, so she could always keep Jake’s memory close to her heart.

It was time to move on, to accept she could be finally happy. 

They celebrated the day with their close friends. They held a moment to reflect on the ones they’d lost along the way, wishing they could be there that day. Arthur and Sadie were grateful to be blessed with good friends, a house, and an opportunity to live in a regular society.

The night of their wedding, they had returned to the farmhouse, nerves dancing and shyness building. It was to be their first night together. 

Arthur had been tender and shy that night. They had taken it slow. In Arthur’s case, he had admitted it had been some time. Ever since Eliza, for that matter. He hadn’t wanted to make the same mistake he had made with her, and had avoided intimacy altogether. For Sadie… her view of intimacy had been ruined the night of Jake’s death. She thought she would never want to touch another man again, not in the way she once cherished with Jake.

Arthur had changed that. She loved him, heart and soul, and trusted him completely. She pushed back her fears and lost herself in Arthur’s arms, captured by his passionate and enduring love.

After a year of working hard on the farm and enjoying many passionate nights with Arthur, Rosalie had been born. The pregnancy had come as a surprise to Sadie. She thought having kids was impossible, but clearly that wasn’t the case. She and Arthur had embraced the pregnancy with open arms and worked as hard as they could to make their farm succeed. 

They were forever indebted to Jamie Gillis and his orchard business, and held a strong friendship with him and Mary. Arthur admitted one night he hadn’t ever thought he and Mary could be friends after the breakup - but they made it work. The fact that Albert was one of Arthur’s closest friends helped.

Every now and then Edward Maas would drop by for dinner, which Sadie appreciated then. They were good friends. There was always a little bit of tension between him and Arthur, but they never let it show and never brought it up. 

Arthur and Sadie couldn’t be happier after hanging up their guns, but life couldn’t be perfect forever.

Agent Ross appearing in their lives had blindsided Sadie. 

A few days after losing Arthur to Ross’ clutches, Sadie moved back to her and Arthur’s house with little Bennie and Rosalie. Abigail had quietly moved in with her to provide Sadie an extra hand. At first, Sadie couldn’t keep still. She’d pace around the house and clean it until it was spotless, or take care of the small chores without over exerting herself. 

Abigail cried enough for the both of them. Having lost John a second time, she was as a loss of what to do. Sadie had to be strong enough for the both of them. 

“We’ll get them back,” Sadie declared to Abigail a few nights after their husbands’ arrests. “I’ve written a few letters. I just have to wait for a response.”

“Oh, Sadie. I don’t know how you are handlin’ it,” Abigail sobbed into a kerchief. 

Sadie regarded her with blurry eyes. She hadn’t let a tear fall yet and she wouldn’t now. There was too much at stake. She’d let herself cry if all was lost. “I’m not, simple as that. But I can’t give up hope.”

One early morning, there was a knock at the door. Sadie stirred from the couch where she had nearly fallen asleep, little Bennie asleep in her arms. She groaned as she stood up, her whole body hurting, and set little Bennie in the crib Arthur had built. She straightened, buttoned her shirt and made her way to the door. In her grogginess, she opened it without a second thought. 

Edward Maas stood there with his hat to his chest, face downcast. “Sadie-”

She slammed the door in his face. She had refused to see him ever since Arthur was taken away. “Get off my property,” Sadie demanded. “You betrayed Arthur, Edward. You handed him over.  _ Get. off. _ ”

“I’m sorry for that,” Edward said, his voice muffled through the door. “I thought I was doing a good thing, Sadie.”

Sadie snapped open the door to glare at him. “Arthur did  _ nothing _ to you.”

“I was foolish, I acted out of spite. Yes, I tipped Agent Ross off. That’s why he was at the party in New York. I thought, maybe if Morgan was so bad, maybe he needed to be behind bars. Why else would an agent be so interested in him?”

“And rid my children of their father? You’ve been nothin’ but a friend to John, too!” 

“I…I’m sorry, Sadie. I wasn’t thinking.” 

“And so this house was given to you, by who? The bank?”

“Because of my relationship with the bank and the dependability, yes, they will give me the deed if Mr. Morgan proves guilty. But I can give it back to you, Sadie.”

“If Arthur’s name can’t be on that deed, I don’t want it.” Sadie began to shut the door again. 

Edward pushed his foot in the crack, stopping it from closing and pressed against the door firmly. “What if it’s yours and mine? Please, Sadie, I can provide for you. You’re no longer shackled to an outlaw and his bad history. I can provide for your children, set them straight.”

Rage boiled in Sadie. She clenched the door so hard in a white knuckled fist. “I will never,  _ ever  _ be with you, Edward Maas. You - you are obsessin’ over somethin’ that can never be yours. It ain’t right  _ or  _ healthy. You need to move on, Edward, like I told you. I ain’t ever forgiving you for what you done.”

“I’ll be here,” Edward affirmed. “You’ll come to me eventually, Sadie. Just you wait.” He removed his foot and Sadie slammed the door shut. 

She did not appreciate being threatened. She stormed to her couch and tossed a pillow against the wall, anger coursing through her. How dare she be blind to the obsessive side of Edward? How dare she not see the warning signs? 

“Mommy?” Rosalie said from the kitchen, standing awkwardly with her hands to her chest. “Are you okay?”

Sadie brushed back her hair and let out a long sigh. “I’m okay, sweetie.”

“What’s wrong with Uncle Eddie?”

“He’s not your uncle anymore,” Sadie responded with a snap, which she regretted. She went over to her daughter and leaned down to give her a long hug. “He done a bad thing. He won’t be around no more.”

Rosalie sobbed into her shoulder. “I want daddy.”

“It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay.” Sadie hugged her tight and bit her lip to halt herself from crying. Not yet. 

She kept herself busy until it was time to leave.

* * *

“It’s been two weeks,” Mary protested as she followed Sadie around the room. Bennie lay snoring in his crib while Rosalie quietly played with her stuffed doll. “You need to rest just a little bit longer, Sadie.”

Sadie threw a glare at her as she stormed around the room, grabbing clothes to pack her suitcase. She had forgone the skirts in favor of a pair of Arthur’s pants, just wide enough to accommodate her post birth belly. They were held up with a pair of thick suspenders. Her breasts were sore and tender, which she kept bound with a cloth she had fastened. Bennie needed to be nursed often. It would make the trip go slower, but she had no other option.

She couldn’t take it easy now. Not when Arthur and John were locked up in St. Denis.

Mary knew she would lose this fight in trying to get Sadie to stay. Sadie appreciated her concern, but she was sick and tired of worrying about Arthur and they didn’t deserve to be locked away. 

“At least let Albert escort you to St. Denis,” Mary pleaded.

“No need.” Sadie tied the luggage closed and carried it downstairs, Rosalie at her heels. Mary picked up Bennie and followed her down. Ever since Arthur was taken, Rosalie hadn’t left Sadie’s side. She missed Arthur, that was plain, just as Sadie did, and she didn’t understand why her daddy was suddenly missing. 

Abigail and Jack sat in the living room, their own bags packed. They were dressed for the road, wearing heavy jackets to protect them from the rain. The past few days it had been raining non stop, which threatened to slow down their pace. Sadie had declared she was going to St. Denis once she felt well enough to travel a long distance, and Abigail had promised to travel with her. 

Sadie had written to Tilly, saying she’ll be in the area in St. Denis. She could rent a room, but had hopes she could drop off the children with Tilly, who now had a son of her own and was doing very well with her husband. 

There was a sharp knock on the door and she opened it, already knowing who it was. “Charles!” she said gleefully, enveloping the well muscled man in a hug. His long dark hair was tightly pulled back, and he wore a similar blue shirt and light pants as when she had last seen him. 

“Sadie,” Charles greeted. He hugged her back and then parted. “I wish we were reuniting under better circumstances. I came as soon as I read your letter. Of course I’ll go with you to St. Denis. We’ll figure something out. I trust you already have a plan of some sort?” He and Abigail gave a quick hug to each other and he scruffed Jack on top of the head affectionately.   
“We have to draw Dutch out,” Sadie said. She moved to sit on the couch, her thoughts running amok. “I don’t know how. But I’d like us to get established in St. Denis and keep our eyes and ears out. We follow Ross, figure out where he’s headed.”

“How do we know they’re not in that Sisika prison?”

“I don’t know. If they are… I don’t think I can pull another stunt like that air balloon rescue for John again.” Sadie rubbed the back of her neck in thought. “We would have to wait until they’re brought back to shore. I dunno, Charles. I’m at a loss.” Bennie started stirring in Mary’s arms. Sadie went over and picked him up. “This is Benjamin, by the way. You haven’t been able to meet him.”

Charles smiled softly and patted the boy on the head affectionately. “Hello, Bennie.” He then kneeled down to Rosalie, who hid behind Sadie’s legs. “Hello, Rosalie. Haven’t seen you in awhile. You doing okay?”

“You gunna get daddy?” Rosalie asked him shyly. “I miss ‘im.”

“I miss him too. It’s going to take a few weeks until we see your daddy again. You ready for an exciting trip on a train?”

Rosalie’s eyes lit up. “Yes!” 

“Let’s help your mama pack the wagon then.” Charles stood up and held out a hand to Rosalie, who hesitated, then took his hand. They each picked up an item - hers being her doll and blanket, and they walked outside.

They left within the hour with the promise to write Mary with updates. Albert would be visiting St. Denis, as he was still detained in New York, and he would help where he could. 

Sadie had also written Mary-Beth, who had turned out to be a very successful writer. They could use Mary-Beth’s wits to spy around the town, and she knew Mary-Beth would be game for it. Sadie had also written Trelawney with the same hopes, but that man could be anywhere. 

Karen would have helped, too, but Sadie had no clues to her whereabouts. If anything, Sadie wished she was safe and healthy.

The other members of the gang such as Javier, Bill, Pearson, Uncle, and Swanson - she left alone. She only wanted so many involved in the rescue of Arthur and John, and didn’t want to risk any more of the van der Linde gang and give Ross the satisfaction. 

The journey to St. Denis was painstakingly long. Sadie had forgotten how far away they had traveled to escape the Pinkertons. In the two weeks they traveled, she hoped Arthur and John were safe. She would have followed them sooner had she not just given birth to their son. Traveling with a newborn was a huge task in itself, but with the help of Abigail, Charles, and even Jack, they made it work.

On a chilly winter day, they stepped off the train into St. Denis. Sadie had her hair pulled back and Bennie swaddled and tied to her front, and she carried Rosalie on her hip who was having a toddler meltdown. Rosalie was tired of the train and the endless traveling. Sadie didn’t blame her. They’d be at a hotel soon and Rosalie could take a much needed nap.

“Once we’re checked in, I’ll start looking around,” Charles murmured to her as he picked up their luggage. “You take a nap. I’ll go find Tilly, and then we can get started on everything.”

Sadie was too tired to argue with him. They had arrived in St. Denis; step one was completed. 

Step two: save Arthur and John. 


	6. Chapter 6

_ Sadie _

Sadie waited on top of a lush green hill overlooking a long valley. Her horse, one she bought from a stable in St. Denis, was currently munching on grass carelessly. She pulled her jacket tighter around her as Charles overlooked the valley with his scoped rifle. Sadie pushed up her scarf and rubbed her gloved hands together as they waited, the wind biting cold and uncomfortable.

They’d been quietly trying to find out Dutch’s location in the past month. They’d gone on a few wild goose chases, oftentimes finding a gang not associated with Dutch one bit. Still, they’d disbanded the gang with a gunfight, demand information, and Sadie and Charles would be on their way. 

Mary-Beth had a contact in the police force and had collected information that John and Arthur were indeed locked away at Sisika prison. In a small desperate attempt, Sadie had tried to locate an air balloon but was unsuccessful. She’d managed to get the owner of the old air balloon killed all those years ago, much to her regret now. She hadn’t had time to give it thought back then. His life had been one more casualty among many. 

“There,” Charles said grimly. “There’s a campfire down there. Still fresh. He can’t be too hard to find.”

“Let’s go.” 

They proceeded down the hill, taking their time. This was rumored to be a gang territory, which meant trouble one way or another. It was worth checking out, as it was also rumored there to be a one man gang, and that was enough for Sadie to be confident they had found Dutch. 

They passed the campfire and continued through the valley. Charles caught sight of a trail and they followed it for a good while until they came across a tiny shack, deftly hidden from prying eyes behind a long slope. 

As they approached the shack, the door was slammed open and a rifle greeted them. 

“Wait!” Sadie said, holding up a hand. She hopped off the horse and took a few steps toward the dark from, holding up her hands. 

The rifle faltered, but the form still held it at the ready. The man stepped out and Sadie let out a huff.

Dutch van der Linde lowered his weapon and tossed aside his cigar. He was heavier in the gut, dressed in warm layers, and had a full beard that was starting to turn grey. The cool wrath in his eyes was intimidating. “Mrs. Adler and Charles Smith. You are two I would not have expected to see.” 

Sadie didn’t lower her hands. “We’ve come for your help.”

“What makes you think I would help you?”

“They’ve got John and Arthur.”

Dutch turned his back to her and shook his head. “Not my problem, Mrs. Adler.”

“You owe them!” 

“I repaid Arthur back by saving his life. We’re even.”

“And Arthur gave you twenty years of his,” Charles cut in, still sitting on top of his horse. “Twenty years, Dutch, of Arthur doing everything you wanted, your right hand man. You owe him this.”

Dutch bristled. “He made his choice when he followed me. As I see it, we are even.”

“What about John? You owe him.”

“I don’t think so. You two better leave.”

Sadie took another step forward, ready to plead if she had to. “We have information, Dutch, about  _ you  _ now. If you get the best of us, if we don’t return, we have someone ready to go to Agent Ross and they will tell him where you are. You’ll finally be found and brought in for your crimes.”

Dutch’s shoulders slackened as he seemed to ponder her words. “I am lacking men at the moment, Mrs. Adler.” 

“You have me and Charles.”

“Forgive me, Mrs. Adler, but that doesn't reassure me.” Dutch seemed strangely amused. “What do I get after all this is done? Arthur will not follow me. There’s no money to be gained for myself.”

“Ross,” she reasoned. “You get Ross. He is the only one stoppin’ us from bein’ free, the only one who is still actively lookin’ for you. We get him, and it’s over.”

“The law is not as simple as that. First it was Milton, now it’s Ross. And someone will be there after him.” Dutch looked back at Sadie. “Once an outlaw, always an outlaw. Society will not let us be.”

“Then what’s another Pinkerton in the coffin? Let’s rescue those two outlaws, who you once considered sons - and we’ll scatter right after Ross is killed.”

“How do you even reason to get them? Where are they?”

“Sisika. We are gonna play right into Ross’ hands. Promise a trade. You ain’t gonna like this and you just gonna have to trust us.”

“Go on.”

“I am gonna tell Ross where you are, in the promise of him releasing Arthur and John. He sees you as the bigger reward. I’ll direct them here, or wherever you want.” 

“Here is fine, but whether or not I will be here…” 

Sadie gritted her teeth. “Don’t matter, in the end. As long as I get them ashore. But I personally want Ross dead and would want your help with it.” 

“I don’t play by other people’s rules, Mrs. Adler. Do you what you will, but I will see to it do what is best to survive. Please leave, now.”

“Arthur and I have two children, Dutch,” Sadie said, her voice cracking as she continued to plead. “Rosalie and Benjamin. They need their father, just as Jack needs his father. Don’t let the law win.”

Dutch looked pained as he slowly shut the door. “I have said my part. Goodbye, Mrs. Adler, Charles.” The door clicked softly.

Sadie clenched her fists angrily. “Let’s go, Charles.”

They made the long trek home in silence. She mused his words over, trying to figure out if Dutch would help them. He had let them leave without trouble. She honestly doubted he would stay to help her. Ross would know if his location, either way - Dutch had two choices: flee, or stay and get rid of Ross forever. 

She hoped Dutch would choose the more gallant option, but she wouldn’t count on it. 

“I’m surprised we even found Dutch, to be honest,” Charles said once they settled down for the night around a campfire. 

“It’s possible he wanted to be found, and it helps that we don’t flash around badges like Ross does. Easier to get information.” Sadie chewed on a piece of jerky slowly, considering. “He probably has his own plan. Hell, I betcha he knew of Arthur and John’s arrest.”

“Have you heard from Timothy Bauer yet?” 

“Yes. Mr. Bauer was helpful. He’s been interviewin’ several of the Pinkertons, lookin’ for whoever found the “body” of Arthur all those years ago. He’s confirmed a corpse was burned and buried as Arthur Morgan. As long as whoever buried… whoever it was… can vouch that the “real” Arthur is dead, our Arthur may just be set free.”

“What about John?”

“His case is more difficult.” Sadie poked at the fire with a stick and embers crackled. “If we have to go the legal route and use a lawyer, Bauer knows a few. All this depends on Ross agreein’ with my terms.”

“I feel this will work in our favor, Sadie. We just have to keep trying.”

* * *

She didn’t feel so confident standing outside the Bureau of Investigation a week later. She had dressed the part of a loving and worried wife, with a deep blue skirt and matching blue jacket. Bennie and Rosalie had been brought along, to show that the Mr.  _ Adler  _ had a loving family waiting for him back home. Mary-Beth had tagged along as well, though Abigail stayed behind. She had been arrested in St. Denis before and didn’t want to risk anyone accusing her of being in the van der Linde gang. 

They were still playing along that Arthur was Atticus Adler. They had to, if they wanted to seem convincing. 

“Mr. Ross will see you now,” the secretary told her after checking at the main desk. “Please, follow me.”

Sadie thanked her and readjusted Bennie in her arms. Mary-Beth held onto Rosalie’s hand, talking quietly and soothingly to her. They entered a dimly lit office, filled with books and papers piled everywhere. Ross’ desk was in the middle of the cramped room, where he sat looking over some documents. 

“Mrs. Adler,” Ross said, standing up from his desk. He had grayed some, over the years. The secretary left and shut the door behind her, leaving the room feeling very small with two women and the children crowding the entrance. “Please, sit. I take it you’ve come to reason about Mr. Morgan.”

“Mr. Adler,” Sadie corrected him, sitting down slowly. “Yes, I am here to talk about how you falsely arrested my husband.”

“I have every reason to believe that he is in fact, Arthur Morgan, the notorious outlaw and the van der Linde’s right hand man. Please, explain how I am wrong.” He leaned over his desk and peered at her, smug. “I’ve talked to Mr. Morgan myself all those years ago, ma’am. My word is enough to convict him.”

If Arthur was convicted, they would have to go to court. In fact, Timothy Bauer was building a case against Ross, from hiring criminals to do his dirty work as a plea deal, but Sadie wasn’t going to admit that. “You must understand something, Agent Ross. My husband is a good man, a loving husband, and an honest worker. You won’t find a single person in our town who has somethin’ bad to say about him. You have Timothy Bauer, a well known reporter and editor for the Empire Gazette, who is even willin’ to speak for him.”

“But before all that, his life is a mystery. That’s strange, Mrs. Adler, don’t you think?”

Bennie stirred in her arms, yawned, and fell back asleep. She was grateful he was keeping silent. “I knew you would fight this, so I come to you with a… proposition.”

“What could that be?” Ross asked, leaning back in his chair with his hands crossed on his chest. 

“You seem invested in this van der Linde gang. I can trade you the whereabouts of Dutch van der Linde for the release of my husband and Jim Milton.”

“Hah!” Ross snorted. A few moments later, he said, “You can’t be serious. How would a little lady like you find him before any of my agents?”

“I have my connections and won’t betray my sources, Agent Ross. We trade Dutch for Atticus and Jim. Do we have a deal?”

“I have to see Dutch with my own two eyes for me to agree to hand Morgan and Marston over.”

“And that’s fine. But I need to see my husband and Milton before I tell you anythin’. I’m desperate for my husband, Agent Ross. These kids deserve their father and I am willin’ to do anythin’.” Sadie said, lowering her voice, completely serious. She needed Ross to believe her. Mary-Beth reached over and grabbed her hand as reassurance. 

“Say I’ll humor you. We get Morgan and Marson over here. We ride to where van der Linde is. And if he’s not there?” 

“Then I’ll have to fight you in court over their freedom. This is my way of tryin’ to appease you first.”

There was a pregnant pause as Ross regarded her carefully. “My number one goal these past five years has been bringing Dutch to justice. We received news of Micah Bell’s passing, written off as a gang attack. I read the report from your local town sheriff, Mrs. Adler. Oddly coincidental he ended up in your town. If I knew better, your husband was probably consorting with him.”

“He was after Edward Maas, one of my old employers. As you also would have read in the report. Mr. Maas is known throughout this side of the country as one of the wealthiest men. Of course he’d draw eyes from this Micah Bell.”

“Ah, yes. Edward Maas. Came to me with the tip of your husband’s identity. Claimed the man seduced you, that you were held in a hostile marriage. Is he wrong?”

Sadie snorted. “Very. I was employed by Mr. Maas and left when I married Atticus - out of love. I did not know Edward’s true character until very recently. The man is obsessive, I’m afraid, and has created lies about Atticus and me.”

A clock chimed on the wall, signaling it was two in the afternoon. Rosalie was walking about the small office, keeping her hands at her side. She was anxious to leave.

“One way or another, each van der Linde member will get what is coming to them. Perhaps this will go in your favor. Did you know we once offered Mr. Morgan a free ride if he turned his gang in, which he refused? Nice to see someone is finally listening to reason. I’ll arrange for this to happen. I’m bringing plenty of my men - I don’t trust you fully yet, Mrs. Adler. I expect you to ride with us, of course?”

“I will, once I see my husband.”

“Meet us in two day’s times. I’ll send you a meeting point. How far is Dutch?” Ross sounded skeptical - but desperate enough for Dutch to agree. 

Sadie held back a victorious smirk and stood up. “He’s three days' ride away, in the valley just west of here. Thank you for listenin’ to me.” She turned to leave. Mary-Beth took Rosalie by the hand and opened the door.

Sadie was halfway through when Ross called after her, “I don’t like being led on, Mrs. Adler. If this proves a false lead, it could go poorly for you.” 

“Good thing I don’t lie,” Sadie said sweetly, and shut the door behind her. Once she followed Mary-Beth outside, she let out a breath she had been holding. Her nerves were shot. Mary-Beth put her arm around hers and dragged her down the road. 

“You did well,” Mary-Beth said. “I didn’t even have to intervene once. You fooled him, Sadie. I could see it.”

“Dutch just has to hold up, and that’s the scary part. I don’t think he will.” Sadie bit her lip, feeling more defeated than victorious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loving all the Edward hate. ;)


	7. Chapter 7

_Sadie_

She waited for Ross and his agents at an old farm just west of St. Denis. A light snowfall had decided to fall, the ground still too warm to accumulate snow. Charles had ridden ahead to scout the area. Rosalie and Bennie were left behind with Abigail, Tilly, and Mary-Beth. Sadie felt oddly alone and wished the others could accompany her, but it was too risky, and they weren’t gunslingers. She could see this only ending in bloodshed. 

She didn’t know why she had alerted Dutch that she’d be coming with Ross. She could have figured out where he was and let them have him. A part of her argued it was because he had saved Arthur’s life twice last they saw him, one from hanging, and two, killing Micah instead of Arthur.

She needed Dutch to be there. 

Dutch always had a plan up his sleeve, and it was going to be one she didn’t expect. She hoped, somewhere in the chaos - Ross would be taken care of. Once he was dead and gone, Sadie and Arthur could be free to return to their home in New York. 

Timothy Bauer was prepared to bury the story on Arthur and John if it were to happen, which she was grateful for. What they were to do about Dutch, she didn’t know, nor did she care, after this whole ordeal was over with. 

All that mattered is that Arthur and John would soon be with her.

Sure enough, Ross and his men arrived just as the snow subsided and the morning sun peeked through the trees. He had at least ten men following, with one large wagon in tow. Behind the bars of the wagon she could see two forms and she resisted the urge to run to them.

Ross greeted her. “Ready for an adventure, Mrs. Adler? You see Morgan and Marston here. Now it’s time to hold up your end of the bargain. I want Dutch. That is it. If your information proves false, I will arrest you for misleading law enforcement.”

“I ain’t no liar,” Sadie responded. She’d known he would threaten her. 

“You will keep distance from the men. We can’t have you trying anything funny.”

“Sadie!” Arthur called from the wagon. “Jim and I are here. We are fine. Don’t worry about us.”

Good, Arthur had used John’s false name - which meant her gamble on whether or not Arthur was keeping up the pretense or not. As she approached the wagon, still keeping a safe distance, she saw Arthur and John sitting inside. They looked healthy, if a bit dirty and unkempt. They both wore the black and white jail suits, covered by a heavy but old jacket. Their beards had grown in.

She wanted to do nothing more than run to him, but she held back. “We head west,” she declared, and led the caravan down the road.

“You’re a far cry from looking like the lady a few days ago,” Ross commented to her a few hours down the road. He was staring at her dark pants and thick jacket, both men’s clothing. 

“Didn’t Maas tell you? I was his bodyguard for a little more than a year. I know how to fight, Agent Ross. Got to, if you wanna survive in this world. I haven’t had to pick up a gun since I quit his employ, besides the other night when I had to defend myself from that gang, when they randomly kidnapped me.”

“Curious how a woman like you has those skills, connections to Dutch, even though you claim your husband is not part of the gang.”

“Ain’t it wild,” Sadie agreed. “Let’s keep business at hand.”

Traveling with a large caravan of detectives and officers was very awkward. She barely slept at night, where she sat away from the group of men. Arthur and John were barely let out of the wagon, only let out to do their business. She stared at Arthur longingly, wondering if she had done the right thing. They hadn’t let her approach them. There was every reason Agent Ross could betray his word and decide not to release Arthur and John once they got a hold of Dutch. 

Charles met them on the third day, confirming that Dutch was most likely in the area and that it was clear. Ross decided then to split up his men before continuing on. He had half his men stay with Arthur and John, and Sadie led Ross and the rest of his men - five total - deep into the valley. An Agent named Victor Landen took command of the second group.

They still hadn’t allowed her to get close to Arthur. She’d merely waved to him as she departed, hoping she was doing the right thing. They’d be together again soon.

It was oddly quiet as they made their way through the rolling hills. Birds had all but dispersed; even the wind had died down. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Sadie’s stomach. 

“He’s in a shack just around the bend,” Sadie mentioned to Ross. 

He had his men disperse, putting distance between everyone as they prepared to surround the shack. Without a cover of trees, anyone could see them approaching. 

“You first,” Ross said to Sadie once they found the shack. 

She hopped off her horse and pulled down her rifle. Her palms were sweating as she headed to the tiny building, not knowing what she’d find. 

“Dutch van der Linde!” Agent Ross shouted once they were feet away from the door. “This is Agent Ross! Come out with your hands up!” 

Silence.

Sadie inwardly groaned. She had basically asked Dutch to hand himself over to Ross. What had she been thinking? Of _course_ he’d leave. She shouldn’t have warned him ahead of time with the hopes he would help her. She’d been a stupid fool and now she was at risk of being arrested, too.

“Move in,” Ross instructed.

She opened the door and flung it open, whipping her rifle around. The cabin was dark and dreary, full of crates and old, broken furniture at first glance. The two of them walked in, guns at the ready.

The building was clear. 

Sadie sniffed, a whiff of gunpowder filling her nostrils. She didn’t like that one bit. “Let’s leave-”

There was a popping sizzling sound and the cabin exploded into fiery flames, smoke, and catapulting debris.

_Arthur_

He heard the explosion from where he sat in the wagon, his wrists bound together. He looked to John, his heart sinking. The Agent’s hadn’t carried dynamite with them. Whatever had been waiting for them to arrive knew they were coming. 

“Let’s go,” he pleaded with Victor Landen, a young and soft spoken agent. “They need help.”

“I’m sure Agent Ross has it under control,” Landen said, though there was doubt in his voice. 

Arthur sat back, angry. All he could do was wait. It turned out he didn’t have to wait long at all. One agent galloped back from where the explosion had been. 

“The boss is buried in the building!” the man shouted. “We need extra men to get it cleared!”

“Move out!” Landen rallied his men.

Fear gripped Arthur as the wagon jolted forward and they were on their way. He hadn’t exactly been told the plan, only knowing that Dutch was supposed to be here. He guessed Sadie had given them Dutch’s whereabouts in order for Arthur’s freedom. She was playing a losing game, though he loved her for the attempt.

When he had been arrested, Agent Ross had taunted them the entire way down to St. Denis, claiming they’d never see daylight again. He’d been smug and cocky, happily sending them to Sisika prison. It hadn’t been a pleasant experience. Security had all but tripled since they’d last rescued John all those years ago, and the guards had borne no sympathy for the prisoners. They’d abused and mistreated many of the prisoners, with Arthur and John being among them. 

The last few days of being in the wagon had been an odd blessing.

As they approached the smoky hillside, Charles met up with them, his hands and face covered in soot. “It was a trap,” he declared, his voice pained. “Agent Ross and Sadie were in there when it exploded. It’s too hot for us to start digging for them.”

The shack was up in flames. The agents ran around at a loss of what to do. “Sadie was in there?” Arthur asked, his voice tight. Dots danced in front of his vision as he struggled to breathe.

John placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “Arthur, I-” he’d said Arthur’s name, but everyone was scattered, too focused on the burning building.

It didn’t matter now. Arthur blurred out John’s sympathetic words. He pressed his head against the cool metal of the bars, and started to weep. 

There was no way she could have survived. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going camping so I'm posting it early. <3


	8. Chapter 8

_ Sadie _

There was agony in her sides as she awoke. She gasped and curled in on herself, her ears plugged and her eyes watering. Her hip felt heavily bruised and she could feel blood on her temple. Her skin felt tight, and warm, as if she had been singed. She opened her eyes, full of tears from the pain she felt and the smoke in the air. There was someone laying next to her. 

She slowly sat up and attempted to push the body over. Was it Ross? The form was too thick and heavy- she shot back once she saw the face. 

“Oh, Dutch,” she croaked. His face was bloodied, a gaping bullet hole in his forehead. His eyes were shut. His body was cold to the touch; he had been dead for quite some time, possibly from the day she had seen him last.

She peered up, looking to where she had fallen. She wasn’t in the shack anymore. She lay at the bottom of wooden stairs, rotten and falling apart. A fiery inferno raged above her at the top of the stairs. Now that she thought about it, she had felt something grasp her from behind and yank her back as the building had exploded. 

Someone had saved her life. She suspected Ross hadn’t been so lucky.

There was a scuffle in the darkness behind her and she felt a cloth go over her mouth. “Sleep,” the voice said, muffled through her plugged ears, and she was too weak to struggle against him.

When she woke, her head was splitting. There was a light from a lantern, making it too bright for her. She shut her eyes against the light and strained her injured ears for any movement. Her body jostled against the floor - no, she was moving, laying down in a small wagon. Something or someone was pulling it from the front. She tried moving her hands, finding them bound behind her back. There was a thick gag around her mouth, making it difficult to breathe.

This had turned from bad to worse. When she attempted to sit up, she dry heaved against her gag, her stomach unsettled from whatever chemical had been on the cloth to make her sleep. All she could do was lay back down and wait.

They were in an old mining cavern, she decided. The shack had merely concealed the entrance. The valley wasn’t too far away from a mountain range. No wonder Dutch had chosen to hide there. It was a perfectly planned escape route.

After what seemed like an eternity of scraping through collapsed debris, they made it outside. She stared up, watching snow fall between the trees. It was near dark, meaning they had been traveling for a good part of the day.

The wagon stopped a long distance away from the cabin. Sadie’s ears were still sensitive and her head still raged. Her stomach felt like there was a rib broken, and her shoulder and hip was aching something awful. 

“I’m sorry about this, Sadie, really I am,” a familiar voice said. Edward Maas peered over the side of the wagon, eyes wide and near crazed. 

_ He _ had been the one to kill Dutch and kidnap her? She was in disbelief. Where was his bodyguards he always kept with him when he traveled? How had they allowed this to happen? Had Edward always been this madly obsessive? 

She wanted to ask all these questions, but the gag was tight around her mouth. 

“I had to do it,” he said. He reached over and put an arm under her shoulders, helping her sit up. “Once I knew you were consorting with Dutch, even, I had to stop you.”

She mumbled against her gag. 

Edward let out a sigh and grabbed her by the arm. She scooted off the wagon and slowly walked to a tree, where Edward commanded her to sit. He grabbed a rope and deftly tied it around the tree and to her bound hands. 

He was making sure she didn’t run. He untied the gag and sat back, desperation written on his face. He looked like he hadn’t washed in days, with his beard all shaggy and his hair greasy, which was unlike the Edward she had known. “Ask me any question, Sadie. I’ll be honest with you.”

Sadie licked her dry lips, tasting blood. “First off, Edward: did you kill Dutch? How? Why?” Shit, her throat was coarse and it nearly hurt to talk.

“I killed him after my agent told me where he was.”

“Your agent?” 

“I hired someone to track you down, to make sure you didn’t do anything stupid. And you did. You found Dutch. Me and my bodyguards came out here and dealt with the man. He hadn’t run, not yet. He put on a fight, killed Kevin, injured Ian. I managed to land a shot on Dutch. I told Pat to take Ian back, and here we are.”

Sadie silently mourned over the loss of Kevin. He had been a nice man, if a bit lonely. “I don’t believe how Pat would have agreed to this.”

“Simple. I told them Dutch planned to take advantage of you. Pat would defend you with his dying breath, Sadie, as would I.” 

She’d gotten Dutch killed. Sadie felt a mix of emotions; she had thought Dutch was scum, but had been willing to give him another chance to save Arthur. It was one way for Dutch to go out to a man like Edward Maas - surely not the way Dutch would have liked to die, against an obsessive, unknown rich boy like Edward. It was a pathetic way for him to go.

“My plan worked, you see. I knew they would have you enter the house first. A bit sad it had to be Ross that died, as he was the strongest in favor of keeping your husband locked up. I lit the dynamite once you were near the stairwell. I was able to yank you down just before it went off. I’m afraid you’re a bit singed on the hair, and your face and clothing too, but we escaped with our lives.” 

There was a mix of pride in Edward’s voice. “They’ll think you died. They’ll stop searching once they have Ross’ body. Morgan and Marston are still prisoners. We can start anew, Sadie. Start a family of our own.”

Sadie wanted to laugh, but her throat was too sore. “There ain’t ever any way I would start a family with you, Edward, out of my free will. Not when I have two children waiting for me back home.”

“I can wait. I have bought a nice cottage just a few days away from here. A beautiful house, just like your place in Ambarino, like you’ve described. We’ll start new from there.”

“If you ever think I would go willingly with you, Edward, you are out of your mind.”

Edward went to his horse and grabbed a small bottle. He popped it open and returned to Sadie. “Drink,” he commanded. 

She turned her head, refusing. His hand gripped her jaw and yanked her back, and the liquid was poured into her mouth. She struggled against his grip as he clamped a hand over her mouth and nose, trying not to swallow the vile liquid. 

She failed, needing to breathe. She swallowed and took a deep breath, the bitterness of the concoction burning down her throat. It was only a few minutes before the ground started swaying below her and she crashed to her side, numb to her very core.

_ Arthur _

As a light mist began, the flames of the shack started to quell. There wasn’t much more to do but wait for the fire to die. The early morning snow had turned to a steady onslaught of rain. Arthur barely noticed as he sat in his wagon, every word caught in his throat. John sat beside him, at a loss of what to say. 

They were both mourning the loss of Sadie. It was a stab to the heart, knowing Dutch was the one behind this. Dutch hadn’t cared about Sadie - no, he’d only cared about killing Ross, and he had gotten his wish. Wherever Dutch was now, may he rot in hell. 

Once the fire died down and only embers were left in the leftover broken structure of the shack, the agent Victor Landen came over to them. The day had passed into night into early morning. Hours had passed since Sadie entered that cabin. Arthur felt empty. He didn’t know what to do.

“I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Adler,” Landen said, his voice solemn.

Adler? Arthur looked up at him, every fiber in him exhausted. “What do you want, Landen?” Arthur asked, his voice shaking. 

“My men have found the body of Agent Ross. He is dead,” Landen replied. “They are still looking for Mrs. Adler.” 

Arthur didn’t respond.

“Mary-Beth has told me much about you, Mr. Adler,” Landen continued. He put his hands behind his back as he talked. “I will tell you I begged Ross to take me along. I originally wasn’t assigned to this, but I made Ross see otherwise. I am doing this for Mary-Beth, I’ll let you know.” He stepped forward and pulled a metal key out of his pocket. The lock to the wagon groaned as he twisted the key. “You’ve changed into a different man. Mary-Beth was adamant about your case. I know that I… I can’t bring back your wife. It was clear the Mrs. Adler cared deeply for you, if she was willing to betray van der Linde. You have a home and kids to get back to. You, too, Mr. Milton. I am releasing you with pardons. I will simply file the case saying we were mistaken with your identities.”

John was skeptical. “How do we know you won’t follow us and charge us with something else?”

“As long as you live normal, civilian lives, I don’t see why we would have to bother.” Landen reached over and undid John’s cuffs. “I did prepare ahead. I have a change of clothing for the both of you, in this bag here. You are free to leave when you like.”

John rubbed his wrists. He was first to hop out of the wagon. He yanked off the black and white striped shirt and grabbed the bag from Landen. “Thank you,” he said tersely to the Agent. “Come on, Atticus, let’s go.”

Arthur stepped out of the wagon and was quiet as Landen unlocked the cuffs. The skin around his wrists were red. “I won’t leave until I find her,” he muttered. He ignored the bag with the clothing, instead making his way toward the still warm shack. Men were moving to and fro, using long sticks and blankets to move everything. The body of Ross lay in a clearing of glass, a blanket over the corpse.

Rain fell over the next hour as he moved in a blur, forever thankful for the wet weather. All the embers died quickly, the wood turning cool to the touch. He, John, and Charles searched everywhere, using the end of their rifles and sticks to dig in the dirt, searching for anything of Sadie’s. The corpse of Ross had been barely recognizable, but there had been a body. Where was Sadie’s?

It was midday when Charles’ foot stumbled through a pile of ashy wood. He and the others pushed aside the wood, revealing a clearing into a basement of some sort. The top of the stairs had been partly burned away. 

Arthur finally felt a string of hope. “Clear it away,” he said, and went to go change out of his prison grieves. He hurriedly changed into a thick flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. He lacked boots, so his simple leather shoes would have to do. 

As he was pulling on a jacket, John ran over to him in a hurry. “We found Dutch,” he declared. He waved for Landen to come over. 

Landen followed them down the basement, much to their surprise a cavern of some sort. Mining tracks lined the pathway, with a dark body at the foot of the stairs. 

“He’s been dead for days,” Charles confirmed. He was kneeling by the body. “Ross did win, in the end. But he paid for it with his life.”

Landen was pale. “What’s going on? Where is the Mrs. Adler?”

“That’s what we have to find out. We’re following this trail.” Arthur would mourn about Dutch later. There was too much going on and he couldn’t stop, not when Sadie was possibly alive. Still, he knelt by Dutch’s side and placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. He hadn’t deserved to go out like this. “Landen, I will request that you bury Dutch’s body somewhere close by. You can tell your superiors he is dead.”

“I will. Here, please, take this,” Landen said. He handed a pistol to Arthur. “I’m afraid I don’t have any more weapons to spare.”

“I have enough,” Charles deemed. “Thank you for your help, Agent Landen.”

“Of course. I hope you find your wife, Mr. Adler. Let me retrieve you a lantern so you can be on your way.”

Once all was said and done, the three men were making their way through the cavern. It was an old, old mining shaft, long forgotten. There were old cans open and trashed throughout the cavern, no doubt a haven for criminals throughout the years. Many paths were caving in, forcing them to go a different route. 

Charles kept them going in the correct direction. “There’s been a small wagon handcart through here,” he said. “Someone was pulling it, less than a day ago.”

“Whoever killed Dutch must be behind this,” John said. There was anger lining his voice. He had no love for Dutch; only for the father figure the man had once been. 

Every step of Arthur’s were filled with determination.  _ Don’t worry, Sadie, I’m on my way. _


	9. Chapter 9

_ Sadie _

Every hour was a blur. Sadie kept nodding off and in, her limbs numb and her head on fire. She’d wake up on the back of a horse, or on the ground, until finally, she woke up in a bed, smelling heavily of dust. Whatever Maas had been feeding her made her feel viciously ill; she kept vomiting or dry heaving every now and then. 

That night, when she lay feverish and weak, Edward slept by her, his arm wrapped around her torso, pleading for her to survive. She wanted to do nothing more than push him off and stab him for abusing her, for whisking her away from her life and ruining her family. 

She finally let herself cry over Arthur, locked away in his jail cell forever. She cried for Rosalie and Bennie, having to be raised without their parents. For Abigail and Jack, who lost John. 

Edward would dab her tears like she was some invalid, promising everything would get better. She knew it wouldn’t.

When the man brought her breakfast in the morning, she was feeling better. He hadn’t given her anything to swallow. One wrist was bound to the headboard, while her ankles were bound to the post. He didn’t trust her not to run.

He set the tray down, full of eggs, sausage, and bacon. He had stocked the place before kidnapping her. He had prepared it all in just a few days, and it terrified her. He was sick.

“Did this start with Mary?” she asked him, sitting up. There was enough leeway in the rope to at least do that. She still wore her old bloodied clothing. 

Edward opened a tall dresser and pulled out a blue summer dress. It was beautiful, and clearly he expected her to wear it. “I suppose it did,” he said. “We were in the same social circles growing up. I adored her. And then she fell in love with that outlaw, Arthur Morgan. I held back, then.”

“And then I came along.”

“Yes.” Edward set down the dress on the end of the bed and sat down, his eyes filled with stars. “You did. I focused my entirety on my business. It grew enormously. I succeeded well. But no woman could compare to Mary. Not until you, at least. And I was heartbroken once I found that you, too, had been enamored by the likes of Arthur Morgan.”

“Why haven’t you been able to move on?”

“There’s something about you, Sadie… something real. You’re… refreshing. You’re not like the other stupid woman who do nothing but wait at home. You were like me. You kept busy. You knew how to fight. But you weren’t looking at me. Not ever. I could see Morgan keeping you at home, forcing you to have his children-”

Sadie bit back a retort. She couldn’t get on Maas’ bad side. Not yet. The only way he would listen to her is by trusting her. She needed that trust in order to escape. She’d deal with his words later.

“-I had to set you free. I thought it’d be the end of it, once Ross arrested them. It didn’t work out that way. Of course you’d go after them. You’re a fighter, Sadie, and that’s what I love about you. I will wait for you, as long as it takes.”

“Forgive me, I… this is a lot for me to take in,” Sadie said, careful with her words. “I’m famished, really.”

“Please, eat.” 

Sadie leaned over awkwardly and picked up a fork. Her stomach growled. Even if he laced the food with drugs, she needed food. So she ate it slowly, Edward watching her every bite with glee. 

When she was done, he cleared the dishes and pulled out a bin of water and a wash rag. He started to clean her wounds, starting with her head. “You’re so beautiful,” he mumbled beneath his breath. 

He was terrifying. But he was just one man, too. She could take him, as long as she had the proper weapons. There hadn’t been an easy way to steal the fork with him watching her so intently. No, she had to wait until the proper time. Her thoughts began to trail off as he continued wiping her face. 

When she woke up with a splitting head once again, it was clear he had laced the food. Not only that, she was completely clean and wearing the dress he had laid out. Her stomach twisted as she imagined him taking off her clothes. She moved her legs uncomfortably, hoping that was the only thing the man had done.

The door creaked open and Edward peeked his head though, a candle in his hand. He was silent as he moved into the room, setting aside the candle beside the bed.

He leaned over her, his eyes black in the darkness. “I had such a hard time resisting,” he said, trailing a finger down her arm.

Every inch of Sadie told her to run. She could easily undo the knot around her wrist, given enough time. As Edward climbed on the bed, she knew time was not on her side. She shifted to her right, trying to get her farthest away from him. 

“Get the fuck away from me,” she said as she pulled away. She had had enough. She was feeling better, if a bit dizzy. She could fight this time. She would not be taken advantage of again. She would  _ not. _

“Shh,” Edward said, grabbing her free wrist as she struck at him. He easily pinned her wrist back as he straddled her, his face inches away from her. He was working on binding her free wrist.

She gritted her teeth as she reached with her one bound hand, ignoring the tears as he continued - her fingers grazed the edge of the candle. With a yell, she grabbed the candlestick and shoved it in Edward’s eye, causing him to yell and fall back on the bed. 

One tiny fire wouldn’t do much to hurt him, but it was all the distraction she needed.

Her one hand still free, she leaned forward and grabbed the tiny pistol Edward had yet to remove from his hip. She didn’t give any thought as she pulled back the trigger and ended his life, a bullet hole clean through his forehead, blood splattering behind him.

His body shot back and slumped to the edge of his bed, landing on her feet. 

She tossed aside the gun. She blinked harshly as she focused on untying her wrist, her vision still dancing slightly in front of her. She had to get home. She had to see Arthur, see Rosalie and Bennie. She wouldn’t be stopped here. 

Once her wrist was free, she leaned forward and untied the rope around her ankles, the body of Edward turning the white sheets red. His cold eyes were staring at her with a look of betrayal. She didn’t care. 

This is what he deserved, no matter what their relationship had been. 

Once she was free from her bindings, she got out of the bed and left the room without a glance behind. She stumbled out the front door, or what she thought was the front door, her stomach still reeling from the drugs. She vomited whatever food she had left. She barely noticed Pat outside by a campfire, smoking a cigar. He hurried to her side in an instant. 

“Sadie!” he cried and caught her as she fell. “Why in the blazes are you here?”

“Edward,” Sadie groaned out. She spat out the remaining bile in her mouth. “He kidnapped me, brought me here.”

“He never said-” Pat’s face darkened. He brought her towards the campfire and set her down on the snowy grass. He rubbed her back as she took a few deep breaths. “He’s changed, Sadie. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. He used to be a good kid. But he got obsessive, mainly over you. I’d never imagine he’d do this. He- he was so intent on killing this man, Dutch, over you. Said Dutch wanted to kill you. Of course, being Edward’s bodyguards, we followed him. Dutch put up a fight. Killed Ian, but Edward didn’t care. Found a cave. Edward sent us away, told us to meet here in a week. I was going to put in my resignation. Is he… is he dead?”

“I… I think so,” Sadie said. “I ain’t sorry, Pat. He… as you said, he’s a changed man. He is not who I think he is.”

Pat looked to the house, his mouth set in a grim line. “I guess I’ll bring the local sheriff and get this cleaned up. I just…” the older man let out a defeated groan and ran a hand down his face. “Edward Maas, what did you do to yourself?” He looked to Sadie and noticed her shivering. He pulled off his jacket and set it about her shoulders. “I’m going to go check on his body. You rest up, now, and I’ll take you to the nearest town.”

Sadie nodded her head lightly in acknowledgement. Time seemed to slow down as Pat confirmed Edward had indeed died. He prepared a horse for Sadie and she just watched him move around, wondering what the next move was.

She’d have to go back to St. Denis and fight for Arthur in court. That was the next big step. At least she’d see Rosalie and Bennie again; she nearly burst into tears just thinking about them. She’d been away for far too long.

She heard Pat pull his shotgun. “There’s people arriving,” he murmured. “Get down, Sadie.”

Sadie moved to hunker down behind a stack of firewood. She stayed hidden until she heard Pat say, “who are you and what do you want?” Pat gasped. “It’s you-”

“We’re looking for Sadie Adler,” the man responded. 

Sadie was running to him before she could even think. She threw herself at Arthur, laughing through her tears. He had her wrapped in a bone crushing hug, holding her tight against him. She found herself covered in grizzled kisses and she couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh or cry. John and Charles stood to the side, a smile on their face.

“They let you go?” she finally said after she pulled away from him, wiping at her tears. 

“John and I were pardoned,” Arthur said. He leaned his forehead against hers. “We’re free to go home, Sadie. I am so, so glad you okay. I love you so much.”

She smiled through her tears as she kissed him boldly in front of the others. “I love you, Arthur. Let’s go home. Little Bennie has just been dying to meet you again.”

_ Arthur _

They traveled with Pat to the nearby town, then split ways with him. Pat said he would write once Edward’s affairs were settled with and visit one last time before moving on. Arthur made sure to stop by the doctor and have Sadie looked over; she was bruised in too many places to count and she was hesitant to say what had happened.

They rented a few horses from the stables and continued on the way to St. Denis. As they settled for camp that night, Arthur held Sadie close for the first time in months, breathing in her scent he had so missed. She finally admitted what had happened and silently cried; he merely held her, and vowed to never let it happen again. 

Arthur listened grimly. “If that man wasn’t dead, I’d…” Arthur spat, letting anger seep into his words. He held Sadie even tighter to him. “I’d have killed him long ago, Sadie, if I knew what he wanted to do to you. I am glad he’s dead.”

“I am, too,” Sadie said gravely. 

The night before they returned to St. Denis, they held a quiet ceremony for Dutch. They shared a bottle of whiskey around a campfire, sharing the better stories of the man. Arthur could talk about him for days and the adventures they went on, but he kept it simple. That man Arthur had admired died a long time ago. Merely a husk had remained, and now that husk was dead. He had said his goodbyes to Dutch on that mountain top where Arthur nearly died. Dutch was no more, and that was that. 

When they opened the door to Mary-Beth’s apartment, Rosalie cried and dived at Arthur from the couch. He held his daughter and counted his blessings as he went around the room, hugging Mary-Beth, Tilly, her newborn son, Abigail, and Jack. John nearly broke down as he held Abigail and Jack, a whirlwind of emotion. 

As everyone caught up, Arthur sat with Little Bennie on the couch, in awe. He’d only met the little boy for a few hours. He hadn’t been there during the first days of the boy’s life. He hadn’t been there to support Sadie as she ventured forth with two children in her care. He was only free because of her fierceness, her passion and determination.

Sadie nuzzled up against him on the couch, a glass of wine in hand. She leaned against his shoulder as they admired their son. Rosalie sat in the crook of Sadie’s arms, her doll in her hands. She fell asleep almost instantly.

“What are you thinkin’?” She murmured to him.

“I’m thinkin’ we go out back and get started on another one,” Arthur said, staring down at Bennie.

She smacked his arm lightly. “Not so fast, mister,” she remarked with a smile on her face. “I doubt Rosalie won’t want to leave our side anytime soon.”

“Fine by me.” Arthur moved his arm over and pulled Sadie closer to kiss her head. “Ready to go back to our boring farm life?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

_ A few months later _

Arthur stood outside his home, admiring the snow blanketing the farm. It’d been a few weeks now with the snow and Rosalie loved every bit of it. They’d spent most of the day making snowmen and then warming up by the fire in the afternoon, a cup of hot chocolate in hand. 

He finished cutting up a stack of firewood as he saw Jack approach, galloping fast toward him. Arthur set his ax aside and went to meet him on the road. “What’s wrong?” he asked the boy.

“It’s mama,” Jack said. He was out of breath. “She’s ‘bout to pop! She’s askin’ for Sadie.”

“Okay, well you ride back and tell them we will be there within the hour. She and John doin’ okay?” 

“Yeah! Midwife is on her way too, I stopped by her house first. Thanks, Arthur!” Jack turned the horse around and was off again.

Arthur got the wagon ready while Sadie bundled up Rosalie and Bennie. She grabbed a bag full of supplies for the kids in case the labor was long. She was eager to see Abigail; it’d been a little more than a week since she’d been able to visit. The snowfall especially made the trip slower.

By the time they arrived back at the Marston’s, John was smoking a cigarette outside his home on the deck. He was dressed in a heavy jacket and looked stressed with heavy bags around his eyes. “‘Bout time!’ he said to them. “She’s inside, Sadie.”

“I’ll take Bennie,” Arthur said, picking up the basket he was sleeping in. “I got the kids. Go be with Abigail.”

John and Abigail’s house was the tiniest bit smaller than Arthur’s, but boasted a healthy garden Abigail was very proud of. John also had a few farm animals with the hopes of having a successful ranch; he had the acres for it. Ever since they arrived back, John had promptly quit his job at the sawmill, not wanting to work with anything having to do with Edward Maas. Arthur couldn’t blame him.

The sawmill was bought out by another person and continued to run. They hadn’t heard much abou Maas’ other businesses. Pat, his bodyguard, had written to say the sheriff had written Maas’ death off as a suicide. As there was enough drugs in the house, it was easy to write off as one. That way, there was no involvement of Sadie and the sheriff closed the case.

Arthur had also received a letter from the Agent Landen, again confirming the pardons for Arthur and John. With Dutch proclaimed dead, the van der Linde gang was disintegrated, and the case was closed. If there’s one thing that Landen had tried to believe in, it was redemption. The pardons proved that. The letter ended with a firm reminder not to do anything foolish.

Arthur would try his hardest. 

He and John settled in the living room. Albert and Mary showed up with their twins, and soon the house was full of toddlers running about. They started a game of dominoes as they waited. Rosalie was making conversation with Bennie and the twins, talking about her doll as a newborn cry sounded from the closed room. John shot up from the table, knocking over his dominoes, and rushed to the door and barged in. Jack shyly followed him in.

Arthur picked up Bennie in one arm and picked up Rosalie in the other. Albert and Mary stood by him, holding their own children who wiggled in their grasp. They waited patiently until Sadie walked out, teary eyed but all smiles. 

“It’s a boy,” she said. “She and the baby are just fine.”

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. Rosalie held out her arms to Sadie, who took her and hugged her close. “You doin’ okay, Sadie?”

“Oh, just fine. Happy.”

“Me too.” He leaned over and brushed a kiss over her freckled cheek. “I love you, Sadie Adler.” 

He felt strange about being happy. Maybe he finally deserved it, and he should stop feeling guilty about living a life after being an outlaw. There would always be a part of feeling guilty about Eliza and Isaac. He had vowed he wouldn’t do the family life again, but here he was, doing it proper this time. He would always miss Eliza and Isaac - he kept their memory close, and treasured it.

He remembered the words Ross had said to him as they had traveled back to St. Denis. “‘This life you’ve been living, it’s only a dream for fools,” Ross had said. “‘You’re an outlaw, Mr. Morgan. There’s nothing more you deserve than justice, and the law will see it done. If it’s the noose, so be it. You’ve dug your grave and I shall see you to it.’”

Arthur hadn’t responded to Ross then. He hadn’t known what to say. 

“Arthur!” John called for them. He peeked his head out of the bedroom and grinned boyishly at them. “Albert, Mary! Come meet your new nephew!” 

They let Albert and Mary enter first. Arthur and Sadie followed, hand in hand, holding their children, full of love for each other and their friends. John and Abigail sat on the bed, cooing over their red faced bundle of joy. Jack leaned over on the bed, grinning, happy he had gotten a brother. The twins tried to climb on bed, and Albert and Mary congratulated Abigail, who looked deliriously happy. 

Surely, if this happy life was a dream, then Arthur would happily be a fool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I love all your comments. I hope you enjoy Sadithur as much as I do - they deserve a happy life with a bunch of kids and friends. <3 
> 
> Take care of yourselves! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Yes! Hello! Thank you for reading! This was going to be a one-shot, but, I kept writing and writing, and it was waaaaaay too long, so I split it up into 9, maybe 10 parts, depending on how I edit it! I'll be uploading a chapter every Sunday.


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